Someone To Watch Over Me
by EJyPt
Summary: The Doctor is dying. But a prolonged regeneration has given him the chance to watch over all those he left behind. Multi Companions story. Spoilers for The End of Time, as well as several New and Classic stories.
1. Chapter 1

**Someone To Watch Over Me**

"So you've been watching me? All this time?"

"No. Because you're right, I don't look back. I can't. But the last time I was dying, I looked back on all of you. Every single one. And I was so proud."

_-Josephine Jones and the Eleventh Doctor, The Sarah Jane Adventures: Death of the Doctor, part 2_

_..._

**Borrowed Time**

The Doctor was dying.

His body had absorbed a highly concentrated dose of radiation. It was tearing through his body, breaking down his system molecule by molecule. His Time Lord physiology had already kicked in, the regeneration process slowly permeating his system as it followed the progress of the radiation and attempted to repair the damage.

He wondered if it would be enough. It felt strange this time. Different. It had never taken this long before.

"Don't go thinking this is goodbye, Wilf," he said, turning to Wilfred Mott, "I'll see you again, one more time."

"What do you mean?" asked the human, the man whom the Doctor had just sacrificed his tenth incarnation to save, "When's that?"

Wilfred Mott. The grandfather of his friend and former companion Donna Noble. An honorable veteran of the British Army, he had served in World War II without once having taken a life. When they first met two years ago, at Wilfred's newspaper stand in London, the Doctor had no idea the impact the human would have on his life.

_He will knock four times._

It had been a prophecy. A clairvoyant foretelling of the impending end of his life.

Until recently the Doctor had thought the prophecy had referred to the Master, to the constant incessant drumming inside the rival Time Lord's head. A rhythm of four. The heartbeat of a Time Lord.

But when it was all over, after the Master and the Time Lords were sent back through the rift to their time-locked homeworld of Gallifrey, the Doctor heard four distinct taps.

Wilfred Mott. Inside the partitioned booth behind a radiation shield, about to be flooded with lethal radiation. The Doctor rescued him, but in doing so was irradiated himself.

"Just..." he paused for a moment, as if searching for the words to explain the ominous feeling he had concerning this prolonged regeneration, "Keep looking. I'll be there."

He turned and headed towards the tall blue box that stood waiting across the street.

"Where are you going?" Wilf called after him.

The Doctor paused at the TARDIS door and glanced back. "To get my reward."

...

Fate. Destiny. The Time Lord Victorious.

As the last of the Time Lords he had recently declared his total authority over all of time itself, refusing to be bound by the laws that had governed his people for so very long. He had taken the misguided view that Time owed him, that it should bend to his will and follow the course that he chose for it.

_"Yes, because there are laws. There are Laws of Time. Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? Me! It's taken me all these years to realise: the Laws of Time are mine, and they will obey me!"_

However, the death of Adelaide Brooke had put all his arrogance into sudden startling perspective.

Regardless whether or not Time itself owed him in any conceivable way, it still deserved his respect. He realized that he had to earn the right to shape its progress. So if this was indeed his fate, if this regeneration was to fail and his body burnt itself out, then he believed that Time was now allowing him that right. A final chance to shape his fate. His destiny.

It was _his_ Time, and he was going to make the most of it.

...

The time rotor rose and fell within the central column of the control console as the Doctor walked past, slipping out of his long coat and folding it over the back of the leather sedan seat nearby. He stopped for a moment and slowly glanced around the TARDIS control room.

"_A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard. It can move anywhere in time and space?"_

The TARDIS was filled with echoes of the past. Memories clung to the walls and hung in the very air. They were clearest at times like this, when he was alone. With just the sounds of the TARDIS itself, and that of his own hearts beating. Clearer now, as his own life slowly ebbed away.

"_Listen. Do you have any idea how long I've been operating this TARDIS?"_

"_523 years."_

"_Right! Five hund- What? Has it really been that long? My, how time flies."_

"_A common delusion among the middle aged."_

He didn't have a particular destination in mind at the moment. Until one presented itself, he would keep the TARDIS on standby, hovering within the vast endless void of the time vortex. As reliable as the TARDIS was, there were still occasions where it chose to misinterpret the coordinates he set.

"_Call yourself a Time Lord? A broken clock keeps better time than you. At least it's right twice a day, which is more than you are!"_

However, the Doctor truly believed, after all this time, that the TARDIS sometimes purposely chose to ignore his direction, choosing instead its own destination. It may not have always taken him where he wanted to go, but it did always seem to take him where he needed to be.

"_Oh I do love the spring. All the leaves, the colors..."_

"_It's October."_

"_I thought you said we were coming here for May Week?"_

"_I did. May Week's in June!"_

"_I'm confused."_

"_So was the TARDIS."_

"_Oh, I do love the autumn. All the leaves, the colors..."_

He ran a hand along the edge of the console. "In the end, it always comes down to you and me, doesn't it?" he said aloud. After a moment, he patted the console. If only the TARDIS could talk, he found himself thinking, not for the first time.

Now, the next thing he had to do was figure out where he had misplaced a certain clipboard.

He strolled towards the inner doors that led further into the TARDIS and left the control room.

...

Walking the corridors, the Doctor discovered that the TARDIS had drained the pool. He was certain it would be gradually filled again though, as it seemed that the TARDIS was compensating for the leak in one of the several bathrooms. The temporal containment field he had set up some time ago must have failed.

The Doctor shook his head. He really needed to find a washer to fix it once and for all. That's all it needed, really. A small metal disc. He was sure he had a small plastic bag full of them somewhere aboard the TARDIS. If only he could remember where he had left them.

However, that would have to wait. For the moment, he was searching for a clipboard.

He stopped suddenly and glanced at the nearest door. He was fairly certain that the reconstructed zero room was supposed to come _before_ the library, not the other way around.

"Have you been redecorating again?" he called out to the TARDIS.

Even though he was not really expecting a reply, he was still rather disappointed not to receive one.

"If I were a clipboard, where would I be?" he muttered as he continued down the corridor. A door opened as he stepped into the room beyond, then stopped briefly as he glanced around. "If I were a clipboard that had been misplaced by an absent-minded Doctor, where would I be?"

He appeared to be in a small storage room. Several crates, all of equal size, were lined along the walls. Many were stacked atop each other, as others were scattered about the room, some of which had been opened. Inside the nearest open crate could be seen a rather squarish metal casing, amongst loose circuit boards and cabling. On its side could be seen two characters of the English language: K-9.

He couldn't help but smile at the small familiar robotic computer. His last foray into this room had been to obtain a replacement for the K-9 unit he had given as a gift to his old friend and former companion Sarah Jane Smith. He deemed it only fitting, as he had been for the most part responsible for the destruction of its predecessor.

Also, it was pretty much time for it, as replacement parts were not understandably available in 21st century Earth, and K-9 had fallen into quite a sad state of disrepair.

At the moment, however, he had more pressing concerns than this brief pause of reminiscence. He glanced around and his attention fell upon the label taped to the wall next to the door. It was written in green indelible ink. _Do not press the blue button._

It was also quite an odd message, as there were not any blue buttons in the immediate vicinity that could be seen. After staring at it for several seconds, he grinned. "Of course." He tore off the label and hurried from the room back out into the corridor.

A short while later, he entered another room and paused briefly to stick the hand written label onto the wall next to a large blue button. A glance around this room revealed it to be an indoor garage of sorts, containing several vehicles of various types and sizes. His eyes fell for a moment on an antique Earth-style bright yellow roadster. The license plates read _WHO 8._

Part of the Doctor wished he had time to take Bessie out for one last spin. But he was running on borrowed time as it was. He didn't have any to waste on such minor diversions.

He approached the workbench set against the wall nearest to the afore-mentioned big blue button. It was there where he finally found the much sought after clipboard.

Firmly clamped to the clipboard was a small pamphlet with the title _So You're Caught in a Rocket Attack._

Deciding that it wasn't needed at this particular time, the Doctor opened the clip and removed the pamphlet, placing it down on the workbench.

Empty clipboard in hand, the Doctor left the vehicle storage area.

He hurried down the corridor, heading back towards the TARDIS control room. Suddenly he stopped and glanced at the wall beside him. He took a step towards it, leaning forward slightly, as if he was listening for something.

"Is this...?" he began to mutter, then trailed off and nodded. "So that's where you've gotten to."

He straightened and tapped a hand against the wall. "Open," he called out, and waited as a section of the wall suddenly slid aside to reveal a dimly lit room beyond. He slowly stepped inside and approached the large tube-like canister in the center of the room. It appeared to be an alien escape pod made of a heavy dark metal alloy. Its clear canopy revealed a still figure within, frozen in a type of suspended animation more advanced than cryogenics. It was a female figure, her features obscured by the glowing blue liquid within the pod.

He placed a hand against the pod's clear surface. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "But perhaps in my next life." He paused for a moment before adding, "If not... the TARDIS will take care of you."

He stood like that for a moment longer, then lowered his arm and stepped away from the pod. A slight flutter in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked up to see two dark bats dozing on the ceiling.

At least Jasper and Stewart were keeping her company, he thought as he turned and left the room. There was nothing more he could do for her now.

...

He returned to the control room a short while later with his clipboard in hand.

For all intents and purposes, it appeared to be just a basic Earth-type wooden clipboard. Nothing all that remarkable about it. Nothing that stood out or gave any indication that it was different than any other basic Earth-type wooden clipboards. It even had that rather unique wooden smell.

However, it was in fact not a basic clipboard at all. It was not from Earth. It was not even made of wood. It was still technically a clipboard, as it had a metal clip that could be used to hold in place whatever of sufficient size needed holding in place. But its main function was not that of a clipboard at all.

The Doctor tapped the seemingly apparent clipboard and the surface rippled slightly and flickered, revealing that it was actually a portable visual screen.

There was a device stored away aboard the TARDIS known as a time-space visualiser. It had been given to him long ago during a visit to the space museum on the planet Xeros. It was a rather large bulky machine, and the Doctor very much preferred not to drag it back and forth about the TARDIS. So although it had taken quite some doing. he had been able to interface this clipboard screen with the controls of the time-space visualiser.

It had indeed taken quite some doing, not as a reflection on his skills in any way, for he had on several occasions in the past stated that he was, in point of fact, a genius. The main reason it had taken quite some doing was due to the rather antiquated nature of the visualiser controls. It had been in a museum after all.

While the creators of the visualiser had been quite technologically advanced, they had still deemed it necessary to resort to an old fashioned and very much out-dated punch card system where the user would have to enter the desired information on a series of plastic cards.

Quite some time ago, back when he had the time for such leisurely projects, the Doctor had been able to bypass the necessity for the use of these punch cards, and had developed a more convenient and portable touch screen interface in the form of this rather plain-looking clipboard.

The time-space visualiser was a rather remarkable device in that it had the ability to show any scene from any point in space in any point in time, provided that the event in question had already happened. Simply put, it was only able to show the past. The visualiser was location specific, and showed the past based on where it was situated in time. However, time was quite subjective aboard a time machine like the TARDIS. So the visualiser compensated by showing the past in relation to the TARDIS, and in effect, the Doctor himself.

That being the case, the Doctor would not be able to look ahead to see if he survives this prolonged regeneration. He would, however, be able to look _back_. Back on his own life. His _lives_. And the lives of those he had met. Those he left behind.

So the Doctor was going to do something he had never done before. During what could possibly be the final moments of his life, he was going to look back on the lives of everyone that had ever meant anything to him. His friends. His companions.

And in his own way, whether it be indirectly or not, have the chance to say goodbye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tragic Melody**

"You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's from years before you knew them? It's like they're not quite... _finished_. They're not done yet. Well... yes, the Doctor's here. He came when I called, just like he always does. But not _my _Doctor. Now, my Doctor... I've seen whole armies turn and run away. And he'd just swagger off back to his TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of his fingers. The Doctor. In the TARDIS. Next stop, everywhere."

_-River Song, Forest of the Dead_

_..._

Some time ago, the Doctor had received a message via psychic paper which simply read, _The Library. Come as soon as you can. X._

To many, it most likely would not have meant much. But to the Doctor, it meant only one thing - or rather, one place: The Library.

_The Library. So big it doesn't need a name. Just a great big "The."_

The Library was an immense planet-sized library in the 51st century which allegedly contained every book that had ever been written. The entire core of the planet was the index computer, with the biggest hard drive in existence.

"Oi!" exclaimed the Doctor, "Spoilers!"

Donna glanced at him. "What?'

He grinned at her. "These books are from your future. You don't wanna read ahead, spoil all the surprises. Like peeking at the end."

She folded her arms. "Isn't travelling with you one big spoiler?"

The Doctor nodded slowly. "I... try to keep you away from major plot developments. Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at..."

The surprisingly silent, abandoned Library was only the first mystery which presented itself to the Doctor and his companion at the time, Donna Noble. The second mystery arrived in the form of River Song, an archaeologist on an expedition to the Library who, as it turned out, had been the person whom had sent the Doctor the psychic message.

"Thanks."

The Doctor glanced at her. "For what?"

River Song smiled. "The usual. For coming when I call."

The Doctor remembered the message on the psychic paper which had brought him there. "Oh, that was you?"

"You're doing a very good job," she said, "Acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason."

"A fairly good one, actually," he replied.

River nodded, taking out a book from within a satchel she was carrying. It was a dark blue book, designed surprisingly similar to the TARDIS. "OK, shall we do diaries, then? Where are we this time? Uh, going by your face, I'd say it's early days for you. Yes? So, um..." She paused and flipped through several pages of the book. "Crash of the Byzantium, have we done that yet?"

The Doctor stared at her, silent and expressionless.

She nodded again. "Obviously ringing no bells." She flipped through the book again. "Right, um... Oh, picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet?"

He continued to stare at her without any reply.

"Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Life with a time traveller, never knew it could be such hard work." River paused and stared at his face carefully, as if seeing it for the first time. "Look at you," she whispered, "You're so young."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm really not, you know."

"No, but you are. Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you."

"You've seen me before, then?"

River was silent for a moment before she slowly asked, "Doctor... Please tell me you know who I am?"

The Doctor was still staring at her. "Who are you?"

...

_He hasn't met me yet. I sent him a message but it went wrong, it arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me. And he looks at me, he looks right through me, and it shouldn't kill me... but it does._

_..._

And the surprises didn't end there when it came to River Song.

"Your screwdriver...," said the Doctor, "Looks exactly like mine."

River nodded. "Yeah. You gave it to me."

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't give my screwdriver to anyone."

River smiled slightly. "I'm not anyone."

The Doctor stared at her. "Who are you?"

...

"So some time in the future, I just give you my screwdriver." It was more of a question, despite being a statement.

River Song smiled. "Yeah."

"Why would I do that?" asked the Doctor.

"I didn't pluck it from your cold dead hands, if that's what you're worried about," she told him.

He didn't seem all that convinced. "And I know that because...?"

...

Her sonic screwdriver wasn't the biggest surprise River Song was to reveal.

"Doctor... one day I'm going to be someone that you trust completely, but I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really very sorry." With that, she leaned forward and whispered something into his ear. Something that stunned him completely.

She whispered his _name_.

...

Just as he was becoming more receptive to River Song's part in his life, events unfolding around them were to cut their time short. With the rapidly degrading library and the deadly threat of the Vashta Nerada, it soon became apparent that a sacrifice had to be made.

The automated voice of the computer echoed throughout the Library.

"Autodestruct in two minutes."

The Doctor regained consciousness in time to see River working on the system controls of the Library. "Oh no, no, no, no. Come on, what are you doing? That's my job!"

"Oh, and I'm not allowed to have a career, I suppose?" she replied, lifting two cables and examining the connectors on each end.

The Doctor discovered he only had limited mobility. "Why am I handcuffed? Why do you even _have _handcuffs?"

"Spoilers!" she replied with a flirtatious smile.

"This is not a joke," he exclaimed, "Stop this now. This is gonna kill you! I'd have a chance, you don't have any."

River shook her head. "You wouldn't have a chance, and neither do I. I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download."

"River! Please! No!"

"Funny thing is," she continued almost matter-of-factly, "This means you've always known how I was going to die. All the time we've been together, you knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you, the real you - the _future _you, I mean - you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. You took me to Darillium to see the singing towers. Oh, what a night that was! The towers sang, and you cried."

"Autodestruct in one minute," droned the computer.

"You wouldn't tell me why," said River as she prepared the cables, "But I suppose you knew it was time. _My _time. Time to come to the Library. You even gave me your screwdriver - that should've been a clue."

He glanced at her sonic screwdriver, where it lay next to his own and River's time travel diary on the floor between them. The Doctor tried to stretch forward to grab one, either sonic device, but they were just out of reach.

"There's nothing you can do," said River calmly.

"You can let me do this!" exclaimed the Doctor, not very calmly at all.

"If you die here," she replied, "It'll mean I've never met you."

The Doctor wasn't convinced. "Time can be rewritten."

River was beginning to lose the calm in her voice, emotions breaking through. "Not those times. Not one line! Don't you dare!" She paused for a moment and continued in a soft voice. "It's okay. _It's okay_, it's not over for you. You'll see me again. You've got all of that to come. You and me, time and space. You watch us run!" A tear slid down her cheek.

"River," he called, "You know my _name_!"

"Autodestruct in ten...," announced the computer voice.

"You whispered my name in my ear."

"...nine, eight, seven..."

"There's only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name. There's only one time I could..."

"Hush, now!" she said as she lifted the two ends of cable. "Spoilers..."

She smiled at him tenderly through her tears.

"...three, two, one..."

River connected the ends of the two cables together and the room was filled with a sudden blinding white light.

...

_Why? Why would I give her my screwdriver? Why would I do that? Thing is, future me had years to think about it, all those years to think of a way to save her, and what he did was give her a screwdriver! Why would I do that?_

_..._

Apparently, future Doctor had given River Song his sonic screwdriver for the sole purpose of saving her. Inside the future screwdriver was a neural relay data chip which was able to hold the final vestige of her consciousness for a short time after her death. What came to be known as a data ghost. This enabled the Doctor to rescue River by uploading the echo of her brain waves into the virtual world in the Library's data core.

The data ghost in the machine.

River Song may have died, but the Doctor was able to preserve her mind in the computer of the largest library that ever existed.

To the Doctor, that was a triumph.

Perhaps one day a way could be found to return River to a physical body.

...

The Doctor sat back in the leather sedan chair in the TARDIS control room and stared at the screen of the clipboard which he had interfaced with the time-space visualiser. In an attempt to find any sort of answer to his current predicament, he had decided to begin with the mysterious enigma who called herself River Song.

According to River, her past was his future. Many would argue that this fact ensured that the Doctor would survive and meet her again in his next life.

But the Doctor knew better.

He had travelled from one end of the universe to the other, from the beginning of time to the end of everything - several times and back. It was never the same trip twice. People changed. Places changed. _Time _changed.

Even his favorite planet, that which its own natives referred to simply as Earth, had been destroyed several times within various periods of its history.

Yet it still remained. Time could be altered. Rewritten.

Just because his future had been a large part of River's past did not guarantee that this regeneration would succeed. It did not guarantee that the future would remain the same.

The return of the Time Lords from a time-locked Gallifrey was not supposed to have happened. It supposedly could never happen. It was impossible.

Yet it _had _happened. Time and space itself tore open and his homeworld was forced through. Was it supposed to have happened? Did the events that culminated in the end of his current incarnation alter the timeline where he was to meet River again? Was River now fated to die, her mind lost forever, with no future enhanced sonic screwdriver to save her?

Usually he could see such things. He could usually discern the interwoven tapestry of time itself, the eddies of its flow, the thread that linked past to possible futures.

But at that moment, the battle within his body between cellular destruction and regeneration was making it very difficult to focus on the current progressive flow of time.

Consulting the time-space visualiser was not helping as much as he'd hope. Other than the events he had already shared with River Song in the Library, he was finding it difficult to glean any significant information about River from the visualiser at all. A solid confirmation that at least one possible future was intertwined with River's past.

But not solid confirmation that it was _his _future. The future of this current timeline.

He was unable to discover anything at all concerning her birth. No data detailing where or when, or the identity of her parents or any family.

Perhaps there was no family. What little he was able to unearth of her past were brief snippets of her early life in an American orphanage on Earth in the late 1960s.

And something about occasional phone calls to President Nixon?

Then there was an inexplicable temporal gap in the information, and he discovered scenes of her youth in Leadworth, England, in the late 1990s - despite being 30 years after her earlier time spent in the orphanage.

...

Two young girls walked across a school playground.

"Why are you always in trouble?" asked the red-haired girl, "You're the most in trouble in the whole school - except for boys."

The young River shrugged. "And you."

"I count as a boy," replied the redhead, as if it was obvious.

They walked past a young blindfolded boy.

"Am I getting warm?" he asked.

The redhead sighed as she and River continued past him. "Yes, Rory."

...

The next clear scene the Doctor was able to pull from the visualiser was a few years later, where the same three youths were slightly older.

"It was late," the teenaged River was saying, "I took a bus."

"No," the boy from the previous scene replied, "You _stole _a bus."

"Who steals a _bus_?" demanded the red-haired girl.

River shrugged. "I returned it."

"You drove it through the botanical garden," the boy told her, as if it needed further explanation.

River shrugged again. "Shortcut."

"Why can't you just act like a person?" asked the redhead, "Like a normal _legal _person?"

River grinned. "I don't know. Maybe I need a Doctor."

...

And in yet an even greater inexplicable temporal gap, the Doctor watched as River Song enrolled in the Luna University, in the Earth year 5123.

"So then," began the university professor during her interview, "Tell me, why do you want to study archaeology?"

River smiled mischievously. "Well, to be perfectly honest, Professor, I'm looking for a good man."

...

The Doctor couldn't help but smile, not so much at what she had said, but at the way she had said it. And at that aggravating smile of hers. It reminded him of their first meeting, in the Library.

"Oh, you're not, are you?" he had asked, "Tell me you're not archaeologists."

Hands on her hips, River countered, "Got a problem with archaeologists?"

"I'm a time traveller," he told her, "I point and laugh at archaeologists."

"Ah," and she flashed him that smile, "Professor River Song. Archaeologist."

The Doctor had left her time travel diary in the biography section of the Library. He had chosen then not to look at its contents. But now, with what little he was able to get from the time-space visualiser, he wondered if he would obtain any better insight if he were to retrieve it and finally read it.

Would it make any difference? If time has been rewritten, if he was to die now, then any future described in the book would be void. It would merely be a possible future. It would no longer be _his_ future.

For the time being, he would just leave it as it was. His first meeting with River Song, and her last meeting with the Doctor. In the Library.

Come what may, if Fate and Time allowed it, he would see her again.

In his future. Her past.


	3. Chapter 3

**Blonde Ambition**

"Funny thing is, Sarah Jane, I've always had this notion, this thought. That if the Doctor died one day - even if he was on Metebelis Three, or Solos, or another _universe _- I'd feel it. Here. In my heart."

_-Josephine Jones, The Sarah Jane Adventures: Death of the Doctor, part 1_

_..._

Sitting at the work bench in his new laboratory at UNIT HQ, the Doctor sang quietly to himself as he carefully worked on a small multi-pronged circuit which he had set into a larger strange looking device. There was a knock at the door behind him, and he called over his shoulder, "Not today, thank you!"

The door opened and a young fair-haired girl entered the room nervously, a file folder tucked under an arm.

"Doctor?" she said tentatively, "I, er..."

Without bothering to look up, the Doctor replied, "I said not today, thank you."

He flicked a switch on the machine. After a brief whirring noise, there was a sudden small explosion within the device and it began to emit a thin trail of smoke.

"Oh no!" grumbled the Doctor.

The girl ran to the fire extinguisher attached to the wall nearby and grabbed it, pulling it off its metal bracket. She rushed to the workbench and raised the extinguisher, spraying foam at the smoking device.

The Doctor jumped back and exclaimed, "Oh no!"

"It's all right," she told him, lowering the extinguisher, "I've dealt with it."

"Dealt with it? You've ruined it!"

"But your bench was on fire!"

The Doctor shook his head furiously. "Three months delicate work and now look at it, you ham fisted bung-vender!"

"But this whole place might have gone up in flames!" she insisted.

"My dear young lady," he said matter-of-factly, "Steady state micro welding always creates more smoke than fire."

She blinked. "Steady state micro welding?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. An advanced engineering technique pioneered by the Lammerdenes. A remarkably gifted race, they have nine opposable digits."

"Nine what?"

"Nine opposable digits."

She stared at him blankly.

The Doctor sighed as his temper dissipated. "Yes, well, never mind."

He returned to the work bench and attempted to salvage the foam-soaked device.

After a moment of working on the circuit, he realized that the young girl had not yet left. She stood nearby, watching him expectantly in an awkward silence.

"Look," he told her, "I said I don't want any tea today, thank you."

"I'm not the tea lady." she replied.

"Then what the blazes are you doing in here?" he demanded.

"I've come - " she began.

The Doctor continued, interrupting her. "Don't you know this area is strictly out of bounds to everybody except the tea lady and the Brigadier's personal staff?"

"I'm your new assistant!" she told him with a broad smile.

The Doctor stared at her for a moment. "Oh no!"

She nodded. "The Brigadier sent me along to introduce myself, Doctor." She held out a slender hand, each finger adorned with a well polished ring. "Josephine Grant."

The Doctor slowly reached out his own hand to shake it. "How do you do, Miss Grant?" He paused for a moment. "But I... I really don't think you're suitable."

Not to be discouraged, Jo Grant continued enthusiastically. "I'm a fully qualified agent, you know. Cryptology, safe breaking, explosives..."

"Fire fighting?" added the Doctor.

Her smile faded.

"Yes. well," he said gently, "I'm sorry my dear, but what I really need is a scientist."

"I took general science at A-Level," she insisted.

"Yes, I'm sure you did," he replied, "But, even so..."

Jo wasn't sure what else to say. "I'm sorry I ruined your experiment."

The Doctor nodded, turning back to his strange machine."That's all right."

Jo retrieved the file folder from the far end of the work bench where she had placed it earlier when she had rushed to grab the fire extinguisher.

"Look Miss Grant," the Doctor told her, "I've got a great deal of work to do. You must excuse me."

...

A short while later, the Doctor had presented his concerns over this new arrival to Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart.

"You've been agitating for a new assistant ever since Miss Shaw went back to Cambridge," the Brigadier commented.

"Liz was a highly qualified scientist," the Doctor explained, "I want someone with the same qualifications."

The Brigadier appeared to have the hint of a smile tugging at the edge of his mouth as he replied, "Nonsense. What you need, Doctor - as Miss Shaw so often remarked - is someone to pass you your test tubes and tell you how brilliant you are. Miss Grant will fulfil that function admirably."

"Oh. Well, what's that girl doing here anyway?" he asked, as if uncertain whether or not he should be indignant towards the Brigadier's statement. "UNIT's no place for trainees."

The Brigadier nodded. "No, I couldn't agree more Doctor, but Miss Grant was very keen to join us. And she happens to have relatives in high places."

"So you tried to palm her off onto me?" the Doctor asked, deciding that this was a good time as any to be indignant, "Well it won't work Brigadier. I'll have a properly qualified assistant or none at all."

"Very well Doctor. I'll reassign her."

The Doctor nodded. "Good." He turned and headed back towards his work bench to work on his circuit.

The Brigadier approached the door, but stopped to say, "But I think you should break the news to her yourself."

The Doctor glanced at him. "Well now, wait a minute - "

He was interrupted when the door opened and Jo Grant stepped into the room.

"Hi Doc, I..." she trailed off when she noticed the Brigadier standing by the door. "Morning, Sir."

The Brigadier nodded. "Good morning, Miss Grant."

"I've checked all incoming reports," she told him, "Still nothing on the stolen meteorite."

The Brigadier nodded again. "Thank you."

Turning to the Doctor, Jo added, "And I've chased those electronic parts you wanted. They promised delivery tomorrow, without fail."

The Doctor attempted to hide his discomfort. "Er, Miss Grant. I, erm. I..."

Jo stared at him for a moment, then glanced at the Brigadier, puzzled.

The Doctor coughed. "Well I don't... This is a bit difficult for me to say but..." He glared at the Brigadier as he told Jo, "Thank you Jo. I can see you're going to be of great help to me."

She smiled, delighted. "Thank you, Doctor."

...

Josephine Grant was a civilian agent of UNIT, back in the days when it was known as the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, a military organization created to defend the planet Earth from paranormal and extraterrestrial threats. While she had several skills and qualifications that were valuable assets to the organization, her enrollment in UNIT was nevertheless largely facilitated by the influence of her uncle, Jack Canning, a high ranking agent in the British secret service.

Her rather cliched ditzy-blonde personality was more often than not offset by a very sharp intelligence which usually took most people by surprise. Cryptology, lock-picking, karate, as well as a proficiency with vehicles such as motorcycles and helicopters. While her first meeting with the Doctor was less than ideal, she eventually became a highly competent assistant.

When she had been under the mental control of the Master and nearly killed a number of UNIT staff, including the Doctor himself, by attempting to detonate an explosive within UNIT HQ, she later trained her mind to the extent that, when the opportunity arose when the Master attempted to hypnotize her again, she was able to resist by reciting a nursery rhyme.

She took the existence of aliens in stride, having encountered Autons, Nestenes, Axos, and the Daleks, to name but a few. It was easy to believe such things when she was employed by a task force that dealt with the otherworldly on a regular basis.

It was the Doctor, however, that initially challenged her beliefs. He claimed to be an alien himself, with the ability to travel through time in a battered old police callbox that stood in the corner of his laboratory.

The thing was, his time machine was apparently grounded by his own people, who exiled him to 20th century Earth as a sort of punishment for his constant interference in the affairs of other planets.

As much as Jo Grant admired and respected the Doctor, she originally thought him to be merely eccentric. A brilliant but slightly touched mind.

That is, until her first foray into the TARDIS.

...

"Well, there you are," announced the Doctor, "That's done it."

Jo glanced at him. "Done what?"

He held up the circuit he had been working on ever since she first met him. "I've made myself a completely new dematerialization circuit. One that'll bypass the Time Lords' homing control." After a brief moment, he added, "I hope."

"You don't seriously think you'll get that thing working again, do you?"

The Doctor glanced at her. "Oh, no. No, I've been doing all this work for fun!"

He stood up from the work bench and approached the TARDIS in the corner of the lab.

Conceding that she deserved his sarcasm, Jo followed him and added, "I mean, it's just a sort of hobby isn't it? A kind of game?"

"A game?" The Doctor took the TARDIS key from his pocket.

She folded her arms across her chest. "Well, what have you got in there anyway? A policeman?"

The Doctor unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing inside. "Why not step inside and see for yourself?"

She stepped forward hesitantly, entering what she thought would be the confined space of a police box.

The Doctor waited for a moment before following her into the rather spacious TARDIS control room. As many had before her, Jo was gazing at her surroundings in breathless amazement.

"I don't believe it!" she finally managed to say after a long moment, "It's bigger inside than out!"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, that's because the TARDIS is dimensionally transcendental."

Jo glanced at him. "What does that mean?"

He smiled. "It means that it's bigger inside than out."

...

The uniqueness of the TARDIS interior, as amazing as it was, was not proof enough of the Doctor's claims. So of course it was decided, mostly by the Doctor himself, that a demonstration was in order.

And so Jo Grant took her first trip through time and space, five centuries into the future to the planet Uxarieus.

...

Jo glanced at the visual screen which showed the surface of a rather cold drab grey world.

"Is that supposed to be where we are?" she asked.

"That _is _where we are," replied the Doctor.

"All right then," said Jo, "If we've landed on another planet, why don't you open the doors?"

"Because the atmosphere out there might be poisonous, that's why," he explained, "I'll just check."

The Doctor approached the control console and examined the atmospheric readings.

After a moment, Jo asked, "And is it?"

"Is it what?"

"Is the atmosphere poisonous?"

He shook his head. "No, no, it's quite healthy. Similar to Earth before the invention of the motor car."

"Look Doctor," she said, hands on her hips, "Are you going to open the doors or not?"

He sighed. "Well, I can but try."

He activated a switch and the doors opened.

"Thank you," she said, as she turned on her heel and walked out through the TARDIS doors. She stopped suddenly as she fully registered the surroundings outside the TARDIS were no longer that of the laboratory in UNIT HQ.

"Doctor!" she exclaimed in shock.

"That's an alien world out there, Jo," he called from within the TARDIS control room, "Think of it."

"I don't want to think of it!" she countered in a scared shaking voice. She turned and rushed back into the TARDIS. "I want to go back to Earth!"

"Look," began the Doctor, "Do you realize how long I've been confined to one planet?"

She shook her head, as if trying to wrap her mind around it all. "All that talk of yours about travelling in time and space. It was true!"

"Well, of course it was true," he replied, "Before I was stranded on Earth, I spent all my time exploring new worlds and seeking the wonders of the universe."

She pointed to the alien landscape outside the TARDIS doors. "But you don't know what's out there!"

"Then let's find out," he said calmly, "Don't you want to set foot on another world?"

"Well, yes, I do," she said slowly, "But I..."

The Doctor nodded, "Good." He walked around the console and retrieved his cloak from where he had left it, wrapping it around his shoulders with a flourish. "Come on. We'll just take a quick look around." He put on his gloves as he added, "And then I'll try and get you back to Earth, all right?"

Jo Grant nodded, not yet familiar with what it usually entailed when the Doctor said anything resembling_ a quick look around_. "All right."

She followed the Doctor outside.

...

As much of a reluctant traveler as she initially was that first time, Jo Grant eventually became used to the dangers and excitement of travelling with the Doctor. To the point that she even had a chance to play princess on their trip to Peladon, and briefly entertained the thought of staying behind on the alien world when she shared a mutual attraction with the Prince of Peladon.

However, after a while of space and time travel, she discovered she held a longing for home.

...

As the central column within the TARDIS control console rose and fell, the Doctor activated the scanner.

"Jo, look."

She glanced up at the planet displayed on the visual screen.

"That's Skaro," he told her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Any regrets?" asked the Doctor.

She shook her head. "No, not really."

"But Jo, that's only one little world. There's so many hundreds of others to see."

Jo smiled. "There's only one little world I want to see right now." She pressed a button on the control console and the image on the scanner changed. "That one."

"That one?" replied the Doctor, "But, Jo, that's Earth."

Jo nodded. "That's right, Doctor. Home."

The Doctor smiled. "Home it is, Miss Grant."

...

A short while after returning home, Jo had deemed it necessary to travel to the Welsh village of Llanfairfach to meet with activist Professor Clifford Jones, as she shared his cause against pollution by toxic chemicals. Her belief in his cause was such that she was willing to go as far as telling the Brigadier that she was going to Llanfairfach, even if it meant resigning from UNIT.

Even if it meant that she would never get the chance to see Metebelis Three with the Doctor, a trip he had been planning for quite some time.

...

The Doctor glanced expectantly at Jo. "Metebelis Three, Jo?"

She was silent, unsure how to reply.

"Well, where else would you like to go?" he asked, "You choose for yourself."

"But I've only got ten minutes," she said quietly.

"Jo, you've got all the time in the world," he told her, "And all the space. I'm offering them to you."

"But Doctor, don't you understand?" she insisted, "I've got to go! This Professor Jones, he's fighting for everything that's important. Well, everything that you've fought for. In a funny way, he reminds me of a sort of... younger you."

"I don't know whether to feel flattered or insulted," he replied. He stared into her eyes and after a moment, he smiled. "It's alright, Jo. I understand."

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Oh, Doctor! Thank you."

...

In a rather ironic turn of events that enforced her comparison between the Doctor and Clifford Jones, Jo's first meeting with Cliff Jones echoed her first meeting with the Doctor.

She opened the door to his laboratory and stepped inside.

A man sat in a ceiling suspended wicker chair, his back to her.

"No one in," he announced.

"You are," replied Jo.

"Did my stint in the fields before breakfast, didn't I?"

"Oh, I see," she said, "They're all out in the fields."

"Aye, that's what I said. No work, no food - logically, aesthetically and morally right. Right?"

"Right... I suppose," was her puzzled reply.

He stood up from the chair and turned to her. "Well now, what..." he trailed off when he noticed she was standing in the doorway, holding the door open.

"Shut the blasted door!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Taken aback, Jo quickly stepped into the room and shut the door behind her as the man nervously examined the thermometer jammed into one of the trays on the work table.

"Of all the silly young goats!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she told him, "what did I do?"

"Well, you ruined a month's work, that's all. Can't you read? It said on the door to watch it, didn't it?"

Jo's thoughts went to the sign she had seen on the door before entering the room. _TOADSTOOLS, PROFESSORS, AND OTHER THINGS — WATCH IT!_

"Yes."

He put the thermometer back and crossed to another lab bench. "Half a degree drop..."

"Well, I..." she trailed off.

She tried to follow him but only ended up banging into the lab bench, nearly knocking over the tray of toadstools. She yelped as he shook his head and told her, "No, no, no. Not there, you'll have the lot over."

She stepped over to one side of the room.

"Not there either. You'll contaminate my spores."

He sat down as Jo took another step back, rubbing her knee.

"Where can I go, for pete's sake?" she asked.

"Well, just try standing still, my love, eh?" he replied, "Tell us the dreadful news. You've come to join us, right?"

"Well, yes, in a way. You see, I'm Jo Grant."

She held out a slender hand, but he was distracted by the tray on the work bench. She lowered it as she added, "I... I rang from London. I spoke to somebody who said her name was... mum."

"Mum? Oh, our Nancy that is, yeah. Nancy with a laughing face. She didn't tell me."

"Well, why should she?" she said in frustration, "You see, I've come to see Professor Jones, not you."

...

It wasn't until some time later when he chose to tell her that _he_ was in fact Clifford Jones. They worked together rather closely after that, and something neither had expected developed between the two.

The Doctor had noticed their developing relationship, and something about it troubled him, most notably upon hearing the name Clifford Jones.

...

"Well, Jo," announced the Doctor, "We'd better get back to UNIT HQ. We've got a report to make out."

"Doctor," she said slowly.

He glanced at her. "Mmm?"

She looked over to Clifford, who gave her a nod of encouragement.

"I don't think I'll be going back just yet," she said.

"Oh, you're thinking of staying here?"

"Well, not here exactly," she replied, "Only you see, Cliff is going on this expedition to look for this fantastic fungus."

"Where?"

"The upper reaches of the Amazon," Clifford Jones told him.

"And he's asked me to go with him," added Jo.

"And you want to go?" asked the Doctor.

"More than anything else in the world."

"I see," the Doctor thought for a moment, "When?"

"Well, very soon now," said Clifford. "We'll just stop off in Cardiff, pick up our supplies, get married and - "

Jo glanced at him in surprise. "Married?"

Cliff turned to her. "Aye..."

The Doctor glanced from Cliff to Jo.

"Erm, look..." he began awkwardly, "Will you excuse me, I... I do think I'm going to be wanted on the telephone." he turned to leave the room.

Jo smiled at Clifford. "You... you didn't say anything about getting married."

He grinned. "Didn't I? I'm sorry, love. You will, of course?"

She threw her arms around him. "Yes! Of course, I will!"

...

Marriage. _Jones_.

The Doctor had realized then why the name troubled him as much as it did.

Some time ago, after the TARDIS was finally mobile, he had taken Jo to earth in the future, to the year 2040, where they had been captured by agents of a corporation believed to be a front for an alien invasion.

...

The man who introduced himself as Le Page approached them as he said, "You're not a stranger here, Miss Grant. Technically, you're dead."

"Is that a threat, sir?" demanded the Doctor.

"It is not," replied Le Page with a grin, leaning against a table nearby, his right hand within his trouser pocket. "It's a statement of fact." He turned to Jo. "According to your iris scan, you're called Jones, and you died an old woman in a house fire twelve years ago."

"Jo, not Joan," she corrected him, not fully understanding what he was saying.

...

The Doctor was somewhat relieved that Jo had not been able to associate with the name at that time. It was easier for her to believe that the old woman Le Page had been referring to was not her.

That was one of the things that made travelling with the Doctor rather tricky.

As a rule, he tried to avoid any revelations that may provide foreknowledge of major future events to his travelling companions. Most notably the foreknowledge of their own death.

However, with the marriage announced between Jo Grant and Clifford Jones, the Doctor did not need any foresight to know that his time together with Jo was ending.

...

Jo hung her head sadly as she faced the Doctor. He lifted her chin with a finger and smiled.

"You contacted your uncle at United Nations, didn't you?" he asked.

She nodded. "It's only the second time I've ever asked him for anything."

"And look where the first time got you," he replied.

Her voice cracked slightly as she asked, "You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind?" He glanced at Clifford Jones. "He might even be able to turn you into a scientist."

She smiled. "Don't go too far away, will you? And if you do, come back and see us sometime."

"Yes," was all he was able to say. After a moment he added, "Save me a piece of wedding cake."

"Right," she replied.

Another awkward silence between them.

A thought suddenly came to mind, and the Doctor said, "Oh, I nearly forgot." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the large crystal he had obtained on his solo trip to Metebelis III. "Your wedding present."

Jo took the blue crystal. "It's beautiful! Thank you, Doctor."

She hugged him as Clifford approached them carrying two glasses. He handed one to Jo and the other to the Doctor.

"Hey, Jo," Clifford told her, "Come and drink a toast to the happy couple, eh?"

"But that's us," she replied.

"Aye, so it is," he said as he kissed and hugged her. Then he turned to the Doctor and said, "Don't worry, Doctor. I'll look after her."

...

And that was the last he saw of her. The Doctor had left without a word, and drove off back to UNIT HQ in Bessie.

A few months later he had received a package from Jo containing the Metebelis crystal he had given her. The members of the expedition up the Amazon river had felt that the crystal was bringing them bad luck, so Jo had thought it best to send it back to him for safe keeping.

However, he never did get the chance to return it to her.

The Doctor, as expected, went on to have other adventures. With another companion. And even another face. Eventually, his travels took him away from UNIT, and quite often even away from Earth.

He had told Jo that he would visit someday, but he knew, even at the time he was agreeing to it when she asked, that he never would.

When the Doctor and his companions went their separate ways, he never went back. He continued forwards.

However, with the long lifespan of a Time Lord, the universe sometimes did not seem as large as it was. On brief occasions he would come across a familiar face. An old friend. A previous companion.

As the current Doctor sat in the TARDIS control room, his fingers tapping the touch screen controls of the enhanced clipboard, he conceded that it was entirely possible that he could someday meet Jo Grant again.

Jo Jones, he corrected himself.

For Jo and Clifford Jones remained happily married for several years, having their own adventures. Travels along the Amazon, living with the Nambikwara tribe in Brazil, flying kites on Mount Kilimanjaro, and even sailing down the Yangtze River in what looked like a tea chest.

They came to have quite a large family, with many children, and many more grandchildren.

At some point, when she was about the age of 60, Jo had even encountered another rogue time traveller. The Doctor discovered that it was Iris Wildthyme who had travelled to Earth, to the year 2028, and casually replaced the fire detection system within an old family house.

Time had been rewritten, and an old friend lived on for many more wonderful years.


	4. Chapter 4

**A Pebble In the Sea of Sorrows**

_One morn a Peri at the gate_

_ Of Eden stood disconsolate; _

_And as she listened to the Springs_

_ Of Life within like music flowing_

_And caught the light upon her wings_

_ Thro' the half-open portal glowing,_

_She wept to think her recreant race_

_ Should e'er have lost that glorious place! _

_- Paradise and the Peri, from Lalla Rookh by Thomas Moore_

_..._

She lay against a large boulder, amongst the rocks at the base of the sheer cliff which towered high above her. Water lapped at her feet and she realized that the tide would be coming in soon. She struggled against the chains that shackled her ankles and wrists.

The Doctor stood before her, that hideous multi-colored coat a strain on her eyes as it contrasted against the pink sea behind him.

"What do you want?" she muttered.

"The Mentor Sil fears a conspiracy against the Lord Kiv," he told her coldly, "You are a spy for the Alphans."

She stared at him. "What? No, stop this!"

The Doctor leaned in close, and grabbed her arm, whispering to her. "It's all right, we're alone now. We can talk."

She sighed with relief. Of course. They were listening. The Doctor was just playing to the camera, biding his time until the opportunity rose to rescue her and escape their captors.

"Oh, Doctor, I thought that brain transference pulse had made you crazy."

She had been afraid that they had altered his mind somehow, brainwashed him against her.

He smiled and said softly, "I'm your friend, Peri. You know that."

"I was beginning to wonder."

"I'm here to help you."

She nodded. "How do I get out of this?" She rattled the chains that bound her wrists.

The Doctor looked her in the eye. "By telling me who the Alphans are that are leading the unrest, and where they can be annihilated."

She blinked. "What?"

"Tell me!" he demanded.

"But I don't know anything!" she replied, her heart sinking.

"Answer me. The tide is on the turn." He gestured to the sea. "Unless you want to add your own despair to the Sea of Sorrows, I suggest that you tell me everything."

Her eyes began to sting. This wasn't the Doctor, it couldn't be. He may have been difficult to deal with at times, but he would never be this cruel.

"Confess," demanded the Doctor.

"Confess?" she echoed, "Confess to what?"

"Your guilt," he said, as if it was obvious, "Your bungling. Your Alphan friends. Everything! You must help the Mentors, Peri. You must help _me."_

"Doctor, what's wrong with you?"

"I see my own interests. I place myself first."

She stared at him. Looked into his eyes. She was shocked to see that his eyes were cold. Even if he had been playing to the camera, they should not have lost their warmth. She began to wonder whether the Mentors' brainwashing had worn off after all.

"But what about me?" she asked quietly.

"You are expendable," he told her, "You have no value. Tomorrow, they intend to take the brain of the Lord Kiv and transplant it into my body. He will possess _my _body! To prevent that, I must please the Mentors, Peri. If that means sacrificing you in my place - offering your body in place of mine - then that is the way it must be."

A sudden voice sounded from the camera situated in the cliff face nearby. Apparently the Doctor's methods were not garnering the desired results. A more effective manner of interrogation was being called for.

...

An armed guard accompanied them back to the Mentors' fortress.

"What's happened to you, Doctor?" asked Peri, "Why do you hate me so?"

"I must do what I think is best," was his reply.

She looked away. "I used to think that you were different, that you cared for justice and truth and good. I can't bear to look at what you are now."

Any reply that he may have had was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a tall muscled man, who let loose a loud war cry as he disposed of their guard escort and retrieved the fallen weapon.

The warrior turned to them and growled, "Now, Doctor, it is your turn to die."

"No!" cried Peri as she stepped between him and the Doctor, knocking the weapon out of the newcomer's hand.

The Doctor took advantage of the moment to turn and run away.

...

Peri opened her eyes.

It had been many long years since she had thought of the Doctor. Many more since she had dreamed of him.

She blinked several times and sat up, the dream slowly fading from her mind.

What disturbed her, however, was that it had been more than just a dream. It had been a _memory._

That had been the last time she had seen the Doctor. Running away, leaving her behind within the caverns of Thoros Beta. To be recaptured. Shackled again in preparation for the operation to implant Lord Kiv's mind in her body.

The entire time she had expected the Doctor to return. To rescue her and take her away in his TARDIS.

But he never did.

Instead it had been that warrior. The self-proclaimed king named Yrcanos. She awoke in the operation chamber, in his arms. He had rescued her, took her away and claimed her as his warrior queen.

Where else did she have to go?

The TARDIS was gone. The Doctor had left her.

...

She had first met the Doctor as Perpugilliam Brown, an American student of botany who quickly learned the wonders of exploring time and space.

"Well, I should get you home," announced the Doctor, approaching the TARDIS console to set the coordinates.

"Oh, must you?"

He nodded. "Oh, yes. Your friends will be worried."

"It's funny," she told him, "But just before I met you I was saying I wanted to travel, and I've still got three months of my vacation left."

The Doctor glanced at her. "And you want to travel with me."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Actually, it was a question."

She smiled. "May I?"

"Three months, you say?"

She nodded. "That's right."

"All right," he replied, "Why not. Welcome aboard, Peri."

They travelled the stars, traversed the time vortex, and the thought of returning to Earth gradually receded from her mind. She very likely would have stayed with him forever.

Even after his unexpected regeneration and sudden change of personality. She stuck with him through the initial unstable phase, the violent outbursts and insufferable mood swings.

After going through all that, to have the Doctor just literally run away and never come back, abandoning her on a strange planet in a distant time...

It broke her heart.

Then she met King Yrcanos and she became Warrior Queen Gilliam of Krontep.

...

She did not understand why the dream had unsettled her so much. She had long since managed to turn her heart cold against the Doctor, in order to allow it to mend. She grew to love Yrcanos, and at this point of her life she never imagined ever leaving.

She sat upon her throne, pulling the fur cape tight around her shoulders against the cold Krontep winter air. She had insisted many times that Yrcanos have the throne room heated. Much of the castle had already been upgraded with advanced technology. Mostly weaponry and protective shields and scanning sensor equipment, of course, as Yrcanos was not one to give in to installing anything for the sake of comfort. It had taken much insisting - not to mention the birth of their first child - for him to finally give in and install thermal heating units in the royal bed chambers.

However, the throne room was the seat of power. Comfort had no place there, apparently. She had accepted it, but it still made these cold days rather trying.

And to add further to her discomfort was the announcement from one of her servants that a man had arrived asking for an audience with the Queen.

She was told that he called himself the Doctor...

She had never expected this moment. For many years in the beginning she had hoped for it, dreamed of it. But after all this time, for it to happen now, for the man whom had left her behind so long ago to arrive at her castle gate at this moment, when he had a time machine which he could use to return to her at any period of her life...

She wasn't sure how she felt. How she was _supposed_ to feel. She cursed the cold, despite the fact that it was the least of her discomfort as she watched a man enter the throne room.

He was tall and thin, his long legs carrying him confidently across the stone floor of the throne room. He had a young face, younger even than the face he had when she first met him, what seemed like so long ago now. He wore a light blue suit jacket, and she found she was slightly annoyed that the cold did not seem to bother him at all. Surprisingly, his breath did not even whisp into white mist in the air.

Despite his change in appearance, there was no doubt it was him. Those sharp brilliant eyes, sparkling with a warmth that had been absent that last time she had seen him. But there was something else in those eyes too, something she was not able to place immediately.

"Well," said the Queen after a long moment of silence, "At least you got rid of that awful coat."

The Doctor smiled. "Tastes change." There was a slight pause before he added, "How are you?"

"I am quite well. And you?" An attempt at polite conversation which she did not quite feel.

"Well enough, all things considered," he replied. An attempt to cover the truth, she realised. He was far from well.

"And who do you have along on your tour of the wonders of the universe these days? I should offer the poor girl a position as my hand-maiden. She would probably prefer it, in the long run."

"Been going it solo for awhile now," he said rather quickly, and expertly attempted a change in subject by adding, "But I would not want to be the one to have you replace such a lovely girl as this here. Your daughter, I presume?"

Queen Peri followed his gaze to the young girl who stood next to her throne. She had not even noticed her daughter enter the room.

"Yes," she replied, "The second youngest."

The pretty ten year old stared at him silently with eyes that mirrored her mother's.

"My congratulations to you and Yrcanos," he said, smiling at the little girl.

"Thank you." A statement as cold as the room.

Another awkward silence followed and the Doctor suddenly chose to return to the topic he had earlier tried to steer from.

"It is true I have had many young people share my journey," he told her slowly, "And I have exposed them to many dangers and sights that they would perhaps wish they could have been spared. But it has been a long, lonely path." There was an odd tone to his voice. "I cherished the time shared with you. I know from your point of view, it had been an especially difficult time. There is much I regret, the worst being the way we parted on Thoros Beta. I know there is nothing I can say as any sort of consolation, but I can only tell you that I _had _tried to rescue you, that the Time Lords had interceded and took me away before I could."

"So tying me to a rock and gloating was part of some grand plan, was it? A devious plan too clever that you deemed it necessary not to include me?" Her voice was low, and was slowly developing a menacing tone. "Instead you chose to run away. That was the last time I saw you, _running away_. The last image I have of you in my head. That's the way I remember you. You realise that, don't you? When I needed you the most, _you ran away_."

"Yes," the Doctor replied calmly, too damnably calm for her liking. "I know. And I've come here to apologize."

Another long awkward silence. After a moment, the Queen laughed, an unexpected and rather unpleasant sound.

"Oh Doctor," she told him, "Do you really think I _care_? It's been twenty years since I've last seen you. Do you think I've wasted my life worrying about you and your little crusade? If you wanted an apology with more of an impact, you should have come to me years ago. I mean, you have a time machine. Why did you choose now to come see me?"

He nodded. "You're right, of course. I could have gone back to take you away from Thoros Beta. Perhaps I should have. But the thing with me is, I never go back, I can't. I'm a Time Lord."

She stared at him for a moment. "That's your excuse? Your grand explanation? You stride into my life again after twenty years to tell me that you didn't go back for me because you're a _Time Lord?_"

He shook his head. "No, that's not it. What I meant was that, as a Time Lord, my point of view wasn't just of your past. Of your time with me. Of you're being left behind on Thoros Beta. Because, as a Time Lord, I also look _ahead_. At your future. Possible futures. And looking ahead, I saw your love for Yrcanos. And your family, a son and two daughters." He smiled. "Queen of the realm. As much as I wanted to, as much as I... _missed _you, I couldn't take that away from you."

She stared at him for a moment. The anger that had built up within her after all this time was slowly dissipating. For she realised he was right. Looking back these past twenty years, her life as the queen of Yrcanos, and her beautiful children. She would never trade that for anything. Even for a chance to travel through time and space with the Doctor again.

_This_ was her life.

A thought suddenly came to her. "You said you never go back. So why are you here now, if not to take me away in the TARDIS? Just to apologize? You could have just let me be. I would have been more than content with the rest of my life here, never even having seen you again. If I didn't know you better, despite your new appearance, I would have thought this was more for your state of mind than mine."

He smiled and she suddenly identified that odd look she had noticed in his eyes earlier.

It was sadness.

"It was to apologize," he told her, "As well as to say goodbye. A _proper _goodbye."

She stared at him for a long moment, a sudden sense of dread filling her heart.

Something was wrong. But despite everything that had happened between them, she still respected his pride enough not to ask directly what it was.

"I'm never going to see you again, am I?"

He shook his head. "No. But as you say, you have your life here." He grinned suddenly, a broad beaming grin, and his sadness could not hide the great pride he felt for her. "And what a wonderful life it is."

She smiled as well, her first truly warm smile since the Doctor entered the throne room. "Will you at least stay for dinner? The King should be back soon from this evening's hunt. Of course, he may try to kill you on sight. But I might be able to dissuade him from such murderous thoughts. If not, we could always just keep your true identity from him. He never did quite understand the concept of regeneration when I spoke of you."

"Thank you, your majesty, but I must respectfully decline. I have other farewells to compose. I must make most of the time given me."

She didn't know what to say. She had a feeling that even that short cryptic line was far more than the Doctor had truly wanted to reveal.

"Then I bid you farewell, Doctor," she told him, "It has been... nice to see you again."

The Doctor bowed. "Farewell, my Queen. And don't worry, you're fourth child may be born a bit small, but he'll grow to be a great warrior."

With that he turned and left the throne room.

Queen Peri sat there for a very long moment in silence after he left. Tears slid down her cheeks, and her young daughter stepped forward to comfort her.

...

...

**Author's note: the idea for this chapter, as well as some of the dialogue, has been taken from _Reunion_, by David Carroll, from _Doctor Who Magazine #191_. Dialogue has been added and expanded upon, altered to compensate for the inclusion of the Tenth Doctor.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Brave Heart**

"What was it you always told me, Doctor? Brave heart? You'll survive, Doctor."

-Tegan Jovanka,_ The Caves of Androzani, part 4_

...

Tegan Jovanka was very much the reluctant traveller when it came to interdimensional travel in the TARDIS. It was difficult for her to associate her time with the Doctor with anything else other than death and misery.

It had all began on the 28th of February, 1981. An Australian air stewardess in training, she had been excitingly looking forward to an employed life of travel around the world among the skies. It was her first day, on her way to the airport with her Aunt Vanessa, when her aunt's car broke down at the side of the road. In search of help, she stumbled into what she had thought to be an ordinary antique police call box.

However, as she soon discovered, it was _not _an ordinary police call box at all.

The first tragedy to befall her occurred before she had even met the Doctor.

...

"Who is she?" demanded the Doctor, "Where did she come from? What are we going to do with her? "

"You can take me right back where you found me, Doctor whoever you are. My aunt's waiting in the car to take me to the airport."

The Doctor paused for a moment before asking, "Your aunt? Woman in the white hat, red sports car?"

She nodded. "You've seen her?"

"Well, a little of her," he replied slowly, remembering the small doll-sized body he had seen in the car parked outside the TARDIS. The demented calling card of the Master, the result of his weapon of choice at the time, the Tissue Compression Eliminator. "That settles it. She's got to come with us."

...

And with that, Tegan found herself party to a series of misadventures that she would never have imagined or even dreamed were possible. From her first step aboard the immense maze-like interior of the TARDIS, she was thrust into a world of time travel and hostile alien encounters.

The Master, the murderer of her defenseless aunt, and his maniacal plan to destabilize the very fabric of the universe. The result was a countless number of deaths, the destruction of entire star systems, and the regeneration of the Doctor.

_All Time Lords regenerate according to this databank. You'd think there'd be something in here about what to do when it goes wrong._

On the planet Deva Loka, Tegan's mind and body were taken over by the nightmarish entity known as the Mara. A prisoner within her own mind, she was taunted and tortured by the creature. Even when it was thought destroyed, the Mara resurfaced again later on the planet Manussa, emerging from her subconscious and possessing her once more.

_The feelings of hate and rage. It was terrible. I wanted to destroy everything._

Her first encounter with the Cybermen, during their attempt to invade Earth in the 26th century. Death was all around her. Emotionless, ruthless, the Cybermen were relentless. Adric, another companion travelling with the Doctor at the time, whom she came to view as a younger brother, sacrificed himself to defeat them.

...

The Doctor activated a control on the TARDIS console. "Crew of the freighter safely returned to their own time," he announced solemnly.

"Cyber fleet dispersed," said Nyssa in a similar monotone.

"Oh, great. You make it sound like a shopping list, ticking off things as you go," said Tegan angrily, "Aren't you forgetting something rather important? Adric is _dead_."

"Tegan, please.," replied Nyssa sadly.

"We feel his loss as well," added the Doctor.

"Well, you could do more than just grieve," she told him, "You could go _back_."

Nyssa glanced at him, hopeful. "Could you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No."

"But surely the TARDIS is quite capable of–" began Nyssa.

"We can change what happened if we materialise before Adric was killed," insisted Tegan.

"And change your own history?" was the Doctor's reply.

"Look, the freighter could still crash into Earth," said Tegan, trying to calm her own voice, "That doesn't have to be changed. Only Adric doesn't have to be on board."

"Now listen to me, both of you," said the Doctor firmly, "There are some rules that cannot be broken, even with the TARDIS. Don't ever ask me to do anything like that again. You must accept that Adric is dead." He paused for a brief moment to flick another switch on the control console. "His life wasn't wasted. He died trying to save others, just like his brother, Varsh." He glanced up at them and added, "You know, Adric had a choice. This is the way he wanted it."

...

After another encounter with the Master, Tegan was mistakenly left behind at Heathrow Airport within her own time. Anger at being abandoned eventually subsided to become relief as she finally returned to her life. A _normal _life. She had forgotten what that had been like. A part of her missed the life she had aboard the TARDIS, but it was for the most part easy to ignore now that she was back home. Away from death and the perils that came with travelling with the Doctor.

Or so she had thought...

During the search for her lost cousin, she was reunited with the Doctor once again while he was following the trail of the renegade Time Lord Omega and was led to Earth.

_Marvellous, isn't it? First I lose my job. Not to worry, I think. I'll go and see my favourite cousin, cheer myself up. Now this._

Surprising even herself, she discovered that she had missed adventures in the TARDIS enough that she decided to rejoin the Doctor on his travels.

...

"Well, you'll be pleased to hear Colin will be out of hospital in a couple of days and on his way home to Brisbane," Tegan announced to Nyssa and the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded. "Excellent."

Nyssa glanced at her. "And what about you?"

Tegan shrugged. "Oh, indestructible. I'm fine."

The Doctor smiled. "It's been marvellous to see you again," he told her.

Nyssa nodded. "Indeed. I've missed you. I wish you didn't have to go back to your job."

Tegan grinned. "What job? Didn't I tell you? I got the sack. So you're stuck with me, aren't you."

"So it seems," replied the Doctor.

...

She had become rather close with Nyssa and was upset when the younger woman chose to stay behind on the space station Terminus to help develop a cure for a disease. And Tegan did not fully trust the Doctor's new companion, Turlough.

Adventures with the Doctor were not any less dangerous than they had been before. Some may insist they were perhaps more so.

Encounters with the Master and the Black Guardian, involvement in the battle between humans and the Silurians, to name but a few.

But it was her first encounter with the Daleks during the earlier phase of their civil war, brought to London in 1984, that was the final straw for Tegan. The resulting death and carnage had taken their toll, and she chose to leave the Doctor.

...

"I'm not coming with you," she told him.

The Doctor stared at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm tired of it."

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"A lot of good people have died today," she replied, "I think I'm sick of it."

"You think I wanted it this way?"

Tegan shook her head. "No. It's just that I don't think I can go on."

The Doctor nodded slowly. "You want to stay on Earth."

"My Aunt Vanessa once said, when I became an air stewardess, that if you stop enjoying it, give it up."

"Tegan."

"It's stopped being fun, Doctor." She stepped forward and shook hands with Turlough. "Goodbye, Turlough."

"Goodbye," replied Turlough, not sure what else to say.

"I'll miss you both," she added as she turned away.

The Doctor stepped towards her. "No. No, don't leave. Not like this."

"I must," she told him, "I'm sorry. Goodbye."

And with that, she ran off in tears.

The Doctor stood there for a moment. "It's strange," he told Turlough, "I left Gallifrey for similar reasons. I'd grown tired of their lifestyle." He paused for another brief moment. "It seems I must mend my ways. Come along."

The Doctor and Turlough entered the TARDIS. A short while later, it began to dematerialize. As it faded away rapid footsteps were heard and Tegan returned, having changed her mind.

However, it was too late. The TARDIS was gone.

"Brave heart, Tegan," she whispered to herself. Then she added, "Doctor, I will miss you."

...

She regretted her decision to leave, but returning to her life on Earth once again was a choice she came to live with and accept as the correct choice. She did not want to see any more death and violence.

She returned to her job as an air stewardess for a short time, then later went back to her birthplace of Brisbane, Australia, to take over her father's animal feed company.

During the early 21st century, she made a great difference campaigning for Aboriginal rights.

"Brave heart, Tegan," the Doctor used to tell her.

Yet in his hearts, the Doctor had always known that she never really needed him to draw from her own strength within. She was strong and brave enough on her own. His words had simply been a reminder.


	6. Chapter 6

**Future Girl**

_The past is another country, the Doctor used to say. By which I suppose he meant it's a nice place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there, and you can have real problems with customs when you arrive._

-from the diary of Cressida, aka Vicki Pallister; _Apocrypha Bipedium_, by Ian Potter, from _Short Trips: Companions_

...

"I'm afraid I've got rather used to being on my own," said Vicki.

"We know how you feel, Vicki," replied Ian, "We felt the same way ourselves at first."

"At first?" She glanced between Ian and Barbara. "I don't understand. You're from Earth too, aren't you?"

Barbara nodded. "Yes, but it goes a bit deeper than that."

"How do you mean?"

"Well," began Barbara, "what was the year when you left Earth?"

"2493, of course," she replied, "My mother had just died and Daddy wanted to get away so he took a job on the planet Astra."

"You were on your way there and you crashed here?" asked Ian.

Vicki nodded. "Yes." She turned to Barbara. "But why did you ask me the year? What year did you leave?"

"Well, you see Vicki," Ian told her, "Our space ship, well, isn't like this one. It travels through _time_."

"We left in 1963," added Barbara.

"1963!" exclaimed Vicki, incredulous, "But that means you're about..." she paused very briefly for a quick mental calculation, "Five hundred and fifty years old!"

"Why, yes, I suppose I am," replied Barbara slowly, not quite sure she liked that particular train of thought.

Ian attempted to stifle a laugh as he nudged her. "Well, Miss Wright, you certainly don't look your age!"

Barbara wrinkled her nose at him. ""Yes, that's one way of looking at it, I suppose, but I try not to think of it too often."

"They didn't have time machines in 1963," continued Vicki, "They didn't know anything then."

"Oh, we weren't entirely ignorant, young lady," replied Ian with a slight smile, "Even the Doctor thought it was worth paying us a visit. That's how we got mixed up with him in the first place."

"The Doctor's from a different age," said Barbara, "A different planet altogether."

"I don't believe you at all," Vicki told them, "You're joking with me. The Doctor, a time traveller?'

Ian and Barbara both nodded and said in unison, "Yes!"

...

Vicki Pallister was born on Earth in the latter part of the 25th century. Her mother had originally wanted to name her Tanni, but ultimately became persuaded by her father's choice of Vicki. In her early years she was raised in New London, living in Liddell Towers on the South Circular Road.

From a very young age she had always had a keen sense for adventure, looking to the stars in the hope of something more.

...

"They seem so much clearer. At home, when I used to look at the sky from the building I lived in, well, you could hardly see the stars at all. Except in winter, and even then they were so faint. Every evening I went up to the roof and looked out into space. That seemed like the future to me. _A_ future, anyway. An open road to the stars."

...

After the death of her mother, Vicki and her father left Earth in 2493 aboard the spaceship UK-201, headed for the new colony on the planet Astra. It was the ninth ship to leave Earth for Astra, yet it was the first not to make it. It had crash-landed en route upon the planet Dido.

To make matters worse, there had been a murderer onboard the colony ship. A human named Bennett killed the other surviving colonists, including Vicki's father.

Only Vicki had been left alive.

...

"That's about what happened," the Doctor told her, "And that's all."

"Then Bennett murdered my father," said Vicki sadly, "Then I've got nobody."

"My dear. My dear," the Doctor replied gently, "why don't you come with us, hmm?"

She glanced at the TARDIS. "In that old box?"

Swallowing his pride, the Doctor smiled at her. "We can travel anywhere and everywhere in that old box as you call it," he said, "Regardless of space and time."

"Then it _is_ a time machine?"

The Doctor nodded. "And if you like adventure, my dear, I can promise you an abundance of it. Apart from all that, well, you'll be amongst friends. Hmm? Well?" He paused for a moment and patted her arm. "Now, suppose I leave you here for a moment to think about it, hmm?"

...

At the time, the Doctor had still been upset over the recent departure of his granddaughter Susan. Upon meeting Vicki he was immediately drawn to the young woman. Despite being the lone survivor of a great tragedy, she remained quite strong-willed and maintained her spirit of adventure.

She very much reminded him of Susan, and perhaps that was part of the reason he chose to invite her to travel with him. No family, no home, she welcomed life aboard the TARDIS.

...

Vicki stopped suddenly after stepping through the doors, glancing around at her surroundings in astonishment. "But it's... it's so _huge_ in here! And the outside is just... just..."

"Just an old box, I think you called it," replied the Doctor in mock indignation.

...

Vicki enjoyed her travels in the TARDIS with the Doctor. Despite the dangers they often faced, she longed for the more exciting moments, and usually found herself quite bored during the uneventful time/space travel between destinations.

From the city of ancient Rome, to the space museum on the planet Xeros, there seemed to be no end to the variety of excitement to be had.

However, as with all good things, it eventually _did_ come to an end.

In a decision that mirrored that of Susan before her, Vicki chose to stay behind in another time, for the sake of the love of another man.

...

"I wish to question her. Come here, child."

Vicki hesitantly approached the old king.

"That's better," said King Priam as he put a fatherly hand on her shoulder, "Now. Are you a Greek?"

Vicki shook her head. "No, I... I am from the future. So you see, I don't have to prophesy, because as far as I'm concerned, the future has already happened."

"I don't quite follow," he replied.

"Of course you don't," Cassandra told him, "She's trying to confuse you! Kill the girl before she addles all our wits. She's a sorceress, she must die!"

"Oh, don't be absurd!" replied Paris, "You're not to touch her."

King Priam glared at them. "I wish you'd both keep quiet just for a moment." He turned back to Vicki. "Now don't be frightened, child. You shall die when I say so, and not a moment before."

"Well, that's... very comforting," was her uncertain reply.

The King addressed his two children. "Now, you see? Neither of you has the least idea how to handle children. All you need is a little kindness and understanding." Back to Vicki, he asked, "Now first of all, what is your name?"

"Vicki."

"Vicki?" echoed Priam. "That's a very outlandish name."

"It's a heathen sort of name, if you ask me," commented Cassandra.

"Nobody did ask you, Cassandra," the King told her icily, "Well, I really don't think we can call you Vicki. We shall have to think another one for you, shan't we? Let me see, how about, er, er... Cressida! Would you think that would be all right?"

"It's a... very pretty name," replied Vicki.

Priam nodded. "Very well, then, Cressida it shall be. Now you claim, Cressida, to come from the future?"

"Yes!"

"So you know everything that's going to happen."

"Well, I..."

"Look, Cressida," said King Priam. "Come into the palace. I expect you could do with something to eat."

"Oh thank you," she replied with a small smile, "That would be very nice."

Paris quite warmed to the idea as well. "Ah, that's a very good idea, I've not eaten since the-"

"You get back to the war!" the King growled at him, "If you've not killed Achilles by nightfall, I shall be seriously displeased."

Paris stared at him. "But look, father, why couldn't Troilus go? I mean, it's much more his sort of thing."

"Don't argue, Paris! Get back to the war!"

"Right," muttered Paris sulkily, turning awkwardly to Vicki, "Well, er, bye, Cressida. We shall meet again this evening... all being well."

"Goodbye, Paris," replied Vicki, "Thank you very much for trying to help me."

"Oh, not at all, it was a great...," he paused as he noticed the warning glance from his father, "...pleasure."

With that, Paris turned and left.

"Come, Cressida," continued King Priam, "You and I have a great deal to say to each other. I have a feeling you are going to bring us luck."

Cassandra, however, vehemently believed otherwise. "She will bring nothing but doom, death and disaster!"

"Don't pay any attention to Cassandra," the King told Vicki, "She takes the gloomiest view. I suspect it's a kind of insurance, so that if things do go wrong she can always say I told you so. Come along."

The King led Vicki towards the palace.

...

The TARDIS had arrived on Earth, several centuries before Vicki had even been born. It was the 12th century BC, near the end of the Trojan War. Vicki had found herself within the city of Troy, and it was there where she had first met Prince Troilus.

...

"Prince Troilus, who was here just now," began Vicki slowly, "Is he your youngest son?"

King Priam glanced at her. "Ah, Troilus, yes, he's about the same age as you, I suppose. But why do you ask? I thought we were supposed to be talking about..."

Vicki interrupted him graciously, in an attempt to steer the conversation away from the subject of her future knowledge. "He's, er... very good-looking, isn't he?"

The King thought for a moment. "Is he?" he asked, "Oh, I never noticed myself. I don't particularly notice good looks. Ha, only gets you into trouble. Look at Paris: handsome as the devil, but a complete coward."

"I thought he was rather nice," replied Vicki.

"Yes, women generally do," King Priam commented, "That's what got us all into this trouble. Though of course, you've not met Helen yet, have you?"

"No, I'm looking forward to that."

"Yes, well, she's..." he trailed off and shook his head, "Oh well, never mind. If only he'd met a nice, sensible girl like you. I always say it's character that counts, not good looks."

Vicki felt somewhat put out by that. "Well, thank you kindly!"

"Oh no, I didn't mean... good heavens, no," insisted the King with an apologetic smile, "I wish you wouldn't keep changing the subject, Cressida. Although funny you should say that about Troilus. I thought he was rather taken with you."

"Did you really think so?" she asked shyly.

"Well of course I did,' he told her, "I thought we were supposed to be talking about the war. Now don't keep changing the subject! You were saying something about a legend?"

...

_The legend of the Trojan War. The wooden horse of destruction. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts._

_..._

"Of course not," Prince Troilus was saying, "It was just that Cassandra went on so about your being a witch."

"And you thought I might put a spell on you?" asked Vicki.

"Well no, of course not," he replied, "I'd like to see you try it." He paused for a moment and glanced at her. "You're... _not_ a witch, are you?"

"Of course not," she told him, "Do I look like one?"

"Well, no, but then I've never met one."

Vicki laughed.

"Look here, I shouldn't be talking to you like this. And what are you laughing at?"

Vicki glanced at him. "Well you're not in the war, are you? You're far too young!

"I'm seventeen next birthday!" he insisted.

"Well, that's hardly any older than me," she said, "You shouldn't be killing people at your age."

"Well, between you and me," said Troilus slowly, "I don't honestly enjoy killing at all. But I love adventure."

"Yes," said Vicki wistfully as she stared into his eyes, "I know what you mean."

...

During the confusion, as the Greeks attacked the city of Troy, the Doctor and Vicki had parted company. The TARDIS faded into space/time as Vicki stayed behind to be with Troilus.

...

"Oh, Troilus, you're hurt!" exclaimed Vicki.

"Just a bit," he admitted, trying to conceal the wound.

"No, let me look."

"No, I'll be all right," he told her, "Look, Cressida, I don't understand."

"I..." Vicki paused for a moment, unsure what to say, "I don't suppose you ever will. That doesn't matter, so long as you trust me."

"Trust you?" he glanced across the plains where they stood, to the burning city of Troy in the distance, "After all..." he trailed off.

"I didn't betray you," she insisted passionately, "That's why I stayed behind. I wanted you to know that I didn't. The main thing is... I belong here now with you, If you'll have me."

"Cressida..." He glanced again at the remains of his home. "Look what's happened."

"There's only us now," she told him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'll explain someday. I'm sorry."

"But... but there's nowhere to go."

"We'll find somewhere," promised Vicki.

"Oh, Cressida..."

They embraced each other and kissed.

...

_Here in the actual olden days there's not much past anywhere, just loads of future, and the rides are even less fun, all carts and donkeys and hardly any roads. We're moving again, you see, dear diary. Even though the conquering Greeks don't really seem to want to colonise any of Asia Minor themselves, they don't seem to want any Trojans settling back down anywhere round here either. They've occupied what's left of the city, I suspect mainly so Menelaus can find all the expensive bits of Helen's jewellery she seems to have mislaid, and seem keen we don't hang about too nearby._

_..._

The sun blazed high above in the cloudless sky. Vicki was alone, the plains near Troy stretching out around her in all directions as she lay sprawled on the ground. Her left eye twitched slightly and there was a disturbingly large pool of blood beneath her head.

The Doctor stared at the image on the clipboard screen in shock.

"That's not supposed to happen," he muttered to himself as he tapped the screen, consulting the time-space visualiser for the date of the event.

1184 BC.

"That's not right at all," he insisted, but the inanimate clipboard did not seem convinced. In fact it chose to merely bleep twice at him before the screen shut off, the disturbing image gone.

However it was still quite clear in his mind as the Doctor tapped the clipboard again, but was unable to bring the image back on screen. He tried to access the point in time prior to the event, but the time-space visualiser was being quite uncooperative.

He put the clipboard aside and picked up the dried old pieces of goat hide that Vicki had used in place of writing paper. He examined them closely until he found the diary entry he was searching for.

...

_One of our herdsmen saw the TARDIS arrive in the next valley this afternoon and instantly recognised it as the mobile temple that had prefigured the city's fall, and the Doctor as a younger version of the old man from my tales. He sent his mate back to tell us so we all had time to prepare ourselves and could all pretend we believed the Doctor's implausible story about being a trader from Phoenicia when he turned up an hour or so later._

_It's definitely him, probably about 40 years before we met. He dresses similarly, his hair is curlier and darker and his face looks a bit different, but the years are never kind, are they? Amazingly, he's almost as vague as a young man as he was when old..._

_..._

During his eighth incarnation, the Doctor had visited Vicki a full year after the date given for the horrible scene that had just been relayed by the time-space visualiser. His own memories and the physical evidence he held in his very hands, written by Vicki herself, clearly corroborated that fact.

However, there was definitely something wrong. Something had been changed.

_Altered_.

The Doctor rose to his feet and rushed to the TARDIS controls.

...

The sun blazed high above in the cloudless sky as the distinct sound of the TARDIS materializing wafted across the Trojan plains. The door opened and the Doctor emerged, rushing forward and dropping to his knees at Vicki's side. She lay on the ground as she had in the scene shown on the clipboard screen.

"Vicki! Vicki, can you hear me?"

Her eyes fluttered open. She was silent for a moment, her vision unable to focus.

"Doctor? Is that you?"

The Doctor stared at her for a moment. Something was not quite right. There was something rather odd about her. Her voice and her eyes.

He reached out a hand and gently slid it beneath her head, tentatively feeling for a wound. After a moment, he withdrew his blood-covered hand and glanced again at the body lying before him. His eyes glared as his voice hardened.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The thing with Vicki's face smiled, its eyes glancing directly into his. It remained silent, and after a moment closed its eyes.

"Answer me! Who are you?"

No reply. The body was motionless.

"What do you want from me!"

...

A short while later, the Doctor was seated in the TARDIS control room once again, consulting the clipboard's screen. It showed his reunion with Vicki as he had remembered it, and as it had been described in her diary.

And afterwards, Vicki enjoyed a long, happily married life with Troilus and their children.

Her timestream had not been altered after all.

Yet the Doctor did not understand why the visualiser had included the imposter's scene amongst those of the real Vicki.

He glanced to the other side of the control room, where the body lay on its side. The open wound on the back of its head revealed smooth metal within.

The android appeared deactivated at the moment, but the Doctor was going to keep a very close eye on it.

In the meanwhile, he was consulting the time-space visualiser, examining something that had caught his eye earlier. He brought up the official report of the rescue ship that had been sent to investigate the crashed craft where Vicki was found.

...

SEEKER MISSION: PRELIMINARY REPORT

DIDO RENDEZVOUS

Established Dido orbit following delay and misrouting after two encounters with unidentified continuum turbulence.

Signal lost. Unable to reestablish link to beacon from colony ship Astra Nine, registry designation UK-201. Wreckage eventually located in Polar 3 Quadrant at Equatorial 91.

Landed two medics, two techs, two surveyors and six support group personnel.

Faint residual power traces found in wreck energy cells. Radiation breach in propulsion priming reactor. Severe damage to tachyon polarisers. Electrophase condensers missing: apparently removed by crew, reason unknown.

Evidence of gross interference with navigation program. Possibly a result of Astra Nine encounter with continuum turbulence. More likely due to crew intervention, reason unknown.

No trace whatsoever of Astra Nine personnel or survivors.

Corpse of large saurian creature found in vicinity of wreck.

Global infrared survey revealed scattered subterranean-dwelling fauna over Upper Hemisphere.

Several highly developed settlements located in vicinity of wreck and elsewhere. All abandoned and in advanced stages of decay.

Two sentient anthropoid beings located in vicinity of wreck. Believed to be male and female. Both killed during encounter with support group personnel before any contact established. No evidence of any other intelligent life.

Return visit believed unproductive.

Mysterious metal box of unknown origin discovered in cargo hold of wreck. Believed not to originate from Dido, it has been determined it was aboard Astra Nine prior to crash. Artifact retrieved and stored in stasis aboard Seeker for transport.

END OF REPORT


	7. Chapter 7

**The Journey Through the Beyond**

"How many more? Just think, how many have died in your name? The Doctor, the man who keeps running, never looking back, because he dare not, out of _shame_."

_-Davros, Journey's End_

_..._

The Doctor strode across the grassy field, staring at the display of the small device he held in his hand. The TARDIS could be seen in the distance, tilted slightly to one side on the uneven ground of a small hill.

Further in the distance beyond that was the city of Troy - the bustling _intact _city of Troy.

It was now several years before its fall at the hands, or more accurately, the _swords _of the Greeks. The Doctor did not need to worry about the risk of bumping into Vicki or Steven, or even his earlier self, at this point in time.

The TARDIS had detected a slight blip in the temporal stability of the area, and the Doctor was investigating any possible connection that it may have with the Vicki android.

However, now that he was here, the Doctor was unable to pinpoint any specific anachronistic anomaly.

"Well, you weren't any help at all," he muttered to the scanning device in his hand as he shook it slightly, annoyed that even the tiny radial dish was not revolving as it should.

And he usually enjoyed the tiny radar dish. It was the highlight of the palm scanner.

He put the device in his jacket pocket as he approached the main dirt road that led to the city. He stopped and stood at the side of the road for a moment, taking in the scenery.

_Time..._

Did he have the time to do this? He had a time machine, one would think he had all the time in the multiverse. But he couldn't turn back time on this body of his. He could feel the itch of regeneration crawling beneath his skin. He was unsure how much time he had left.

Did he really want to waste it on a wild Graske chase trying to discover the origin of the android? Vicki was safe in the current timeline. Her life had not been altered or meddled with in any way.

He had so much more to do.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a gentle tug on his sleeve.

The Doctor turned around and glanced down to see a young girl standing next to him, perhaps about six years of age. She was wearing a simple white dress, dirty with continued use, probably the only dress she had.

Smiling at him, she raised her hand, holding out a fistful of flowers.

He smiled back. "Oh, hello. Thank you." But he didn't take the flowers.

Noticing a woman nearby, drawing water from a well a short distance from the road, he added, "But why don't you save those for your mum, eh? Looks like she could use them more than me."

The little girl glanced at her mother, then turned to him and nodded, still smiling. She ran off to join her mother at the well, but stopped and looked back when he called to her.

"Wait," he asked, "What's your name?"

"Katarina," was the girl's reply. As she turned and ran off, the Doctor's smile faded.

With an ache in his chest, he turned and hurriedly walked back to the TARDIS, tears threatening to sting his eyes.

There was no further point in staying here any longer.

...

The Doctor reached the TARDIS, pausing to retrieve the key from his pocket.

"Doctor! Oh, Doctor!"

He turned to see Vicki rushing towards him.

"Oh, my dear child!" he exclaimed, "Oh, how lovely to see you. Where have you been all this time? And where's Steven?"

The city was under siege. All around them battle raged between Greeks and Trojans.

"Doctor, he's over there," she told him, "But I've got to talk to you."

"Oh, now one thing at a time, child," he replied, "Where's the young man?"

Vicki turned to the young woman that was following her. "Katarina, this is the Doctor. Now, go and find the man you call Diomede. He's hiding amongst those pillars over there."

Katarina was looking at the Doctor, apparently noticing his odd attire. "You are from... the other place?"

The Doctor glanced at her briefly before turning to Vicki. "But who is this child?" He shook his head. "Now pull yourself together. We've got to go."

"Katarina, go and find Diomede. He will be there." Vicki paused and gestured to the TARDIS. "Bring him to my temple, quickly."

Katarina nodded and hurried away.

"We must all go and find him," insisted the Doctor, "Come along."

Vicki shook her head. "No, Doctor. Into the TARDIS, quickly."

"Listen, my dear child," he said, "The boy, the boy."

"Open the door and listen to me, please."

The Doctor nodded. 'Oh, yes, but just be patient will you."

"Steven is safe," she told him, "Katarina will bring him. Come on, I've got to talk to you."

...

Katarina made her way through the city square to find Steven slumped against a pillar.

"Diomede," she announced, "Cressida has sent me."

Steven glanced at her. "Who are you?"

"I've come to take you to your temple," she told him, "Oh, come quickly."

"I can't."

Katarina glanced at his wounds and realised that he had been gravely injured.

"Lean on me," she said, stepping forward to help him to his feet.

...

A short while later, the Doctor was manipulating the controls on the TARDIS console. The exit doors slid open and Katarina entered with Steven.

The Doctor went to them and helped Steven onto the medical bed that had slid out from the wall. The young man was in worse condition than he had thought.

The doors slid closed and the central column of the control console began to rise and fall.

Registering the size of the room they were in, Katarina had fallen to her knees, bowing her head.

"That's not good," the Doctor was saying as he examined Steven's wounds, "That's not good at all. We must get help."

"What help is there in limbo?" Katarina managed to say.

The Doctor glanced at her. "What's that, my dear?"

"Vicki." moaned Steven, struggling to sit up.

The Doctor turned back to him, placing a hand on his chest. "No, no, no, no, no. Keep calm, keep calm."

"Is she all right?" asked Steven.

"Yes, yes," the Doctor told him, "She's all right. Yes, yes."

Steven noticed the young woman on her knees near the doors. "What's she doing over there?"

"No, no, no. That's not Vicki," replied the Doctor, "That's not Vicki. Now keep calm."

"Not Vicki?"

"Be quiet!" The Doctor activated the control panel on the side of the bed.

"Where is she? The Trojans will kill her."

"She's all right. She wanted to stay."

The Doctor attached a small device to the side of Steven's left arm.

"The Greeks," muttered Steven, "The Greeks, the Trojans."

"Keep still," the Doctor told him, sliding a finger along the bed's control panel.

"Vicki," whispered Steven as a sedative entered his bloodstream.

"She's all right," the Doctor said again, "I know she is. She's gone to find Troilus and she'll be quite all right. This is just what she wanted. Now calm down. Yes, quiet, quiet."

Steven's breathing calmed as he fell asleep.

The Doctor nodded and turned to Katarina. "You'll have to look after that young man," he told her, "I think he has calmed down."

Katarina bowed to him. "Strange god, you bring me peace."

He stared at her. "What? What are you talking about?"

She gestured at their surroundings. "This is your temple," she said.

"It is nothing of the kind," the Doctor replied firmly, "It is my _ship."_

"This is no ship," Katarina laughed. "Where are the sails? Where are the oarsmen?" She shook her head. "No, this is your temple, and we are journeying through the Underworld to the Palace of Perfection."

"No," replied the Doctor, "I don't know what Vicki has advised you, but-"

"The Priestess Cressida told me all would be well," said Katarina, "And I knew it was to come."

"What was to come, my dear?"

"That I was to die."

"My dear child," he told her, "You're not dead. That's nonsense."

"This is not Troy," she replied, "This is not even the _world_. This is the journey through the beyond."

The Doctor sighed. "Well, as you wish."

"Thank you."

"Yes, yes, yes, as you wish, my child. Now, I want you to keep an eye on that young man." He gestured to Steven. "Will you?"

She nodded. "Yes, great god."

"His name is Steven," continued the Doctor, "And remember Katarina, you must call me _Doctor_."

Katarina nodded again. "Oh, as you wish Doc."

"I am not a _Doc_," he told her, "I am not a _god_." He sighed and muttered to himself. "Oh, my dear Vicki, I hope you'll be all right. I shall miss you child." He glanced at Steven. They would need medicinal drugs that he currently did not have aboard the TARDIS. "Yes, now. Those drugs, those drugs. What am I going to do? I must stop somewhere."

...

Some time later, Steven had regained consciousness.

Katarina was by his side. "The Doctor will return very soon," she announced, "He will get help."

He stared at her. "Where are we?" he asked.

"On our way through the underworld," was her confident reply.

He blinked. "What? Look, I don't understand. Vicki. Troy." He stared at her a moment and added, "Oh. You helped me when that Trojan-"

"Deep calm. You must rest."

"Did the Doctor bring you on board?" he asked.

Katarina nodded. "Yes. We all make the journey together."

"Who are you?"

"Katarina. I served as handmaid to the High Priestess Cassandra. But you must rest. The Doctor will bring help. Don't ask any more questions."

...

The next time Steven awoke, he was confused to find himself in the middle of a jungle. Katarina was once again by his side.

"Where's the Doctor?" he asked groggily.

"He will be here soon," she replied.

"I don't understand. Where are we?" He shook his head. "I can't think straight."

"You must rest. The tablets I gave you have made you better, but you must still rest."

"Tablets?" he asked, "What's going on here? What are we doing out here in the jungle?" He found it difficult to keep his eyes open.

"We had to leave the temple," replied Katarina, who paused for a brief moment to correct herself, "The _TARDIS_. The evil ones came."

"Evil ones?"

She nodded. "He called them... Daleks?"

"Daleks!"

Still weakened by his fever, Steven drifted back into unconsciousness.

A sudden sound alerted Katarina and she turned to see the Doctor approach.

"Katarina!" he exclaimed, surprised to see her outside the safety of the TARDIS.

She bowed her head. "My lord."

"Doctor. _Doctor_," he corrected, glancing at the unconscious Steven. "What are you both doing here?"

"The evil ones searched for us but Bret helped us," she told him, "He said they were evil."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, well, whoever this Bret is, he's quite right. The Daleks are evil things."

"Bret is the man you put in your magic chair."

"What? That young ruffian?"

"But he helped us," said Katarina.

"And you released him?"

"Was I not right to do so?" she asked, "When the evil ones came he said we had to flee from your temple."

"My TARDIS, child, my _TARDIS_," said the Doctor with a sigh, "Yes, you were right. I mean, he wasn't to know that you were quite safe away from the Daleks in there." He paused and turned to Steven. "How is this young man?"

Steven was awake now. "I'll be all right in a minute or two. Thanks, Doc."

The Doctor nodded. "Good, good, good."

"Bret says the time is four thousand," said Katarina, "And he came here, and only just got away from the evil ones. He gave Steven some white tablets, and he's almost well again."

The Doctor nodded again. "I see, I see. Yes, and I clamped him in that chair, and he turned out to be the very fellow with the antitoxin we needed." He turned back to Steven. "Well, young man, you'd better pull yourself together. We've got some work to do."

...

_You show me so many strange mysteries. With you I know I'm safe._

_..._

Aboard the spaceship, the criminal Kirksen had grabbed Katarina and held her in a vice-like grip before him. "Keep back!" he growled.

"Who are you?" demanded the Doctor, "What do you want? Release that girl!"

"Never mind! Who's in charge of this thing? Answer me!"

"I am," replied Bret.

"Where are you heading?"

"Earth."

Kirksen shook his head. "Change course. Change it!"

"To where?' asked Bret.

"Not Earth. Go to the planet Kembel."

"Kembel!' scowled the Doctor. They had just escaped Kembel.

"Shut up and do as I say!" demanded Kirksen.

"Kembel's deserted, man," Bret told him, "It's as bad as Desperus."

"Nowhere's as bad as Desperus!" exclaimed Kirksen.

"The Daleks are on Kembel!" piped in Steven.

Kirksen glared at him. "So?"

"The Daleks are no help," said the Doctor, "We're going back to Earth."

"Then I shall be sent back to the Devil's planet!" complained Kirksen, "No, whoever the Daleks are, they'll help me."

Steven stared at him. "You don't know about them?"

"I said go to Kembel! _Kembel_!" yelled Kirksen.

Bret adjusted the ships's navigation controls.

"We're changing course,' announced the Doctor, "Now release that girl."

"Do you think I'm a fool?" growled the criminal.

"Course is changed," insisted Steven, "We're heading for Kembel."

"It doesn't feel as if we've changed," said Kirksen.

"Well, look up at the screen and you'll see," said Bret.

As Kirksen glanced at the visual screen, Steven rushed towards him. Kirksen shoved him away and tightened his grip on Katarina, dragging her with him into the airlock. The door slid closed.

"Open the door from the control panel,' Steven said to Bret, "I'll rush him!"

The Doctor shook his head. "The girl will be dead before the door's half open!" He glanced at Bret. "Can we talk to him in there?'

Bret nodded. "Yes, I've turned on the talkback."

"Let's try a little bluff, suggested the Doctor. He raised his voice, addressing the criminal. "Now, then! Listen to me, whoever you are. Bring that girl in here, or we will press a button, and you will be sucked through the outer door into space."

"Then the girl dies too," replied Kirksen, "If you open the outside door I'll press the inner release and then we'll all be dead!"

Bret shook his head. "We can't seem to get through to him. He's crazy."

"We've got to get Katarina out of there!" exclaimed Steven.

Bret deactivated the audio link to the airlock.

"Turn that back on again!" demanded Steven.

"There's no point," Bret told him.

"Turn it on again, before he really hurts her."

"Look," said Bret, "He can't kill her or he hasn't a hostage."

Steven glared at him and turned the audio link back on, shouting, "You animal!"

"Now that's just for starters," said Kirksen, "Do as I say!"

"Change course," said the Doctor.

Kirksen nodded. "Now, that's more like it!"

"Take him back to Kembel," continued the Doctor, "Take him back to Kembel! Let the Daleks deal with him."

"Yes," muttered Steven, "And _us."_

"Don't worry, dear boy," he told him, "We'll find a way out."

Katarina screamed, struggling to get free of Kirksen's grip.

"Stop that or you're dead!" the criminal told her.

"I can't sacrifice everything for the sake of that one girl," said Bret.

"Listen," said Steven, "Without us you wouldn't have got off Kembel at all, and nothing would be worth bothering about!"

"All right, so we all go back together," replied Bret, "But without me, I doubt that you would have got this far either."

"Yes, all right," conceded Steven, "But I won't let you hurt Katarina. We'll head back for Kembel as the Doctor says. On the way we may find a way to get her out of there."

Katarina's scream brought their attention back to the airlock. She struggled again to pull free of Kirksen, clawing at his face with one hand and reaching for the door controls with the other.

"You won't," said Kirksen confidently.

"No, not that one!" exclaimed Steven, "Katarina!"

Katarina's hand struck a button on the controls, and the outer doors slid open behind her and Kirksen. She glanced a final time at the Doctor before she and Kirksen were pulled out the airlock and into space.

"Katarina!" called Steven, but it was too late.

There was a stunned silence aboard the ship, and after a long moment, Steven said quietly, "She pressed the wrong button, Doctor."

The Doctor wasn't so convinced. "She may have wanted to...," he trailed off and cleared his throat, "Dear boy, she wanted to save our lives."

"It must have been quick," said Bret.

"I hope she's reached her Palace of Perfection," said the Doctor.

"Yes, but not _that _way," replied Steven.

"She didn't understand," continued the Doctor, "She couldn't understand. She wanted to save our lives, and perhaps the lives of all the other beings of the Solar System. I hope she's found her Perfection. Oh, how I shall always remember her as one of the Daughters of the Gods. Yes, as one of the Daughters of the Gods."

...

Sweet Katarina. She had sacrificed herself for the Doctor. For her own personal god. She did not fear death, and in fact embraced it. She respected death and viewed it as a part of life. As a final _reward,_ even. Her religious beliefs would not allow her to be happy if she were to be taken from that death, a noble death that had been in tribute to her lord, and brought back to the world of the living. She would no doubt actually consider it an insult, and would view a life after which not worth living. After all, she had actually thought she was already dead, travelling the afterlife in her lord Doctor's magical temple. This was her journey through to the Beyond.


	8. Chapter 8

**Mr & Mrs Smith**

"You left me! We were nice, we were happy. And then, what? You give me a kiss and you run off with him, and you make me feel like nothing, Rose. I was _nothing_. I can't even go out with a stupid girl from a shop because you pick up the phone and I come running. I mean, is that what I am, Rose? Standby? Am I just supposed to sit here for the rest of my life, waiting for you? ...Because I will."

_-Mickey Smith, Boom Town_

_..._

Mickey Smith had been an auto mechanic and an all-around typical teenager who believed that he was living a generally decent life. A good life. He considered himself a good guy, a good mechanic, and a good boyfriend. However, he soon discovered that his life, his _world_, was a lot smaller than he had originally assumed.

The first time Mickey met the Doctor, the Time Lord took away his girlfriend. Rose left him behind and ran off with this stranger to travel across space and time in a daft old police box. A police box that wasn't a police box. He hated the Doctor for that, and a full year had passed before he was even to see Rose again.

...

"You ruined my life, Doctor," he said angrily, "They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."

The Doctor glanced at Rose. "You see what I mean? Domestic."

"I bet you don't even remember my name," challenged Mickey.

"Ricky," replied the Doctor confidently.

He shook his head. "It's _Mickey_."

"No," insisted the Doctor, "It's Ricky."

"I think I know my own name."

"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?"

...

The Doctor never got his name right. Even when he finally did, to add insult to injury, it was to call him _Mickey the idiot_. No respect. The Doctor didn't think much of him. Didn't even think of him as anything more than a mindless ape. No potential. Certainly not travelling companion material. And truth be told Mickey didn't have any desire at all to travel with him. He didn't see the point. He thought he had a good life here on Earth. He thought himself to be a good boyfriend, and didn't understand the reason why Rose had wanted to leave in the first place. To leave _him_.

So it was much to his surprise that when he finally did earn the Doctor's respect, with his help in preventing the Slitheen invasion, he was actually invited aboard the TARDIS.

...

"I just went down the shop," he was saying, "And I was thinking, you know, like the whole world's changed. Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is." He pointed to the headline of a copy of _The Evening Standard_ that he held in his hand. It read _Alien Hoax_. "How could they do that? They saw it."

"They're just not ready," the Doctor told him, "You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope, can't see it. There's a scientific explanation for that. You're thick."

Mickey grunted. "We're just idiots."

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, not all of you."

Mickey smiled slightly, realizing it must have been difficult for the Doctor to admit. "Yeah?"

"Present for you, Mickey," said the Doctor, deftly changing the subject as he handed Mickey a CD. "That's a virus. Put it online. It'll destroy every mention of me. I'll cease to exist."

He took the disc and glanced at the Doctor. "What do you want to do that for?"

"Because you're right, I am dangerous. I don't want anybody following me."

They could see Rose and her mother, a short distance away, talking to each other as they approached them.

"How can you say that and then take her with you?" asked Mickey, almost accusingly.

"You could look after her," suggested the Doctor, "Come with us."

Mickey shook his head. "I can't. This life of yours, it's just too much. I couldn't do it." He thought for a moment, then added, "Don't tell her I said that."

...

He attempted to move on with his life, but it always seemed to steer back towards the Doctor and Rose. Not to mention the fact that alien invaders never seemed to want to leave Earth alone. He would receive call after call from Rose, asking for his help against whatever alien threat was looming over the planet that week, and as sudden as Rose was back in his life, once the threat was over, she was gone.

And he was alone again. Left alone to try to get back to his life.

And then she'd call again. And as usual, he would come running.

This sort of relationship bothered him greatly, but he didn't fully realize how much until the incident at Deffry Vale High School, where they were joined against the threat of the Krillitanes by Sarah Jane Smith, a previous companion of the Doctor.

And they met her little mechanical dog, K-9.

...

"So what's the deal with the tin dog?" asked Mickey.

"The Doctor likes travelling with an entourage," replied Sarah Jane, "Sometimes they're humans. Sometimes they're aliens. And sometimes they're tin dogs. What about you? Where do you fit in the picture?"

"Me? I'm their Man in Havana. I'm the technical support. I'm..." he trailed off as realization suddenly dawned, "Oh, my God. I'm the tin dog!"

...

This realization did not sit well with him at all, so Mickey decided that he would no longer be the one to sit on the sidelines, to be called out whenever he may be needed.

...

"Er, we're about to head off," the Doctor was saying to Sarah Jane Smith, "But you could come with us."

She shook her head. "No. I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Can I come?" piped in Mickey, "No, not with you," he told Sarah Jane, then turned to the Doctor, 'I mean with you. Because I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there."

Sarah Jane smiled. "Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board."

"Okay then," replied the Doctor, "I could do with a laugh."

...

As it turned out, he proved to be quite a competent companion after all. His time aboard the TARDIS may have been short, but he proved himself to be more than just a tin dog. Most notably when the TARDIS slipped through a crack in reality and they found themselves on an alternate Earth.

In this other reality, the Cybermen were on the brink of taking over the planet. Mickey met his alternate self, who was ironically enough named Ricky. After his death at the hands of the Cybermen, Mickey was inspired by his other self's strength and bravery to the point that he chose to stay and take his place, leading a team to help rid the world of the remaining Cybermen threat.

...

"Off we go, then," announced the Doctor.

"Er, thing is," replied Mickey, "I'm staying."

The Doctor glanced at him. "You're doing what?"

"You can't," protested Rose.

"It sort of balances out," explained Mickey, "Because this world lost its Ricky, but there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there."

"But you can't stay," Rose told him.

"Rose, my gran's here," he replied, "She's still alive. My old gran, remember her?"

Rose nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"She needs me," he said.

"What about me?" asked Rose quietly, "What if I need you?"

Mickey shook his head. "Yeah, but Rose, you don't." He gestured to the Doctor. "It's just you and him, isn't it? We had something a long time ago, but not anymore."

"Well, we'll come back," insisted Rose, "We can travel anywhere. Come and see you, yeah?"

"We can't," replied the Doctor, "I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident. We fell through a crack in time. When we leave, I've got to close it. We can't ever return."

"Doctor." Mickey held out a hand and the Doctor shook it.

"Take Rose's phone," the Doctor told him, "It's got the code. Get it out there. Stop those factories. And good luck, Mickey the idiot."

Mickey grinned. "Watch it."

The Doctor entered the TARDIS as Rose gave Mickey her cellular phone.

"Thanks," said Mickey, "We've had a laugh though, haven't we? Seen it all, been there and back. Who would have thought, me and you, off the old estate, flying through the stars."

Rose nodded. "All those years just sitting there, imagining what we'd do one day. We never saw this, did we?"

"Go on," he told her, "Don't miss your flight."

Rose hugged him tightly, then turned and stepped into the TARDIS, crying.

"Jake," he called to the young man who had been quietly watching them nearby, "You want to watch this."

The TARDIS dematerialized slowly, fading away with that odd wheezing wind-like sound.

Jake blinked. "What the hell?"

"That's the Doctor," announced Mickey, "In the TARDIS. With Rose Tyler."

...

His continued fight against the Cybermen eventually brought him back to his own Earth, but it wasn't until quite some time later, after the encounter with the Daleks and their creator Davros, that he chose to stay in his own timeline.

There, he decided to become a sort of freelance agent in the fight against alien threats to Earth. He was joined in this by another previous companion of the Doctor, Martha Jones.

...

**ACT II**

...

"I travelled across the world. From the ruins of New York, to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. His name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. I love him. And I know what he can do."

_-Martha Jones, The Last of the Time Lords_

_..._

Martha Jones was training to become a doctor at the Royal Hope Hospital in London. She lived a particularly fulfilling life, her only worries being her desire to become a physician, and the daily family drama between her divorced parents.

However, all that changed in a single day. The day she met the Doctor. When the rain fell upwards, and she found herself impossibly on the moon. Along with her hospital, the entire building uprooted and transported to the surface of the moon.

...

"It's real. It's really _real_," she said as she slowly reached for the latch of the window.

"Don't!" insisted her sobbing coworker, "We'll lose all the air!"

"But they're not exactly air tight," Martha told her, "If the air was going to get sucked out, it would have happened straight away. But it didn't. So how come?"

"Very good point!" announced the Doctor as he drew aside the curtain around the hospital bed from where he had been watching her, "Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha," she replied.

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Well then, Martha Jones," continued the Doctor, "The question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be!" exclaimed her distressed coworker.

"Obviously we are, so don't waste my time," he said dismissively before turning back to Martha, "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or...?"

Martha nodded. "By the patients' lounge, yeah."

"Fancy going out?"

She nodded again. "Okay."

"We might die," he told her.

"We might not," she countered.

He grinned. "Good! C'mon." He pointed to her still sobbing coworker. "Not her, she'd hold us up."

A short moment later, they arrived at the patients' lounge, pushing open the doors to the balcony and stepping outside.

"We've got air!" exclaimed Martha, "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," replied the Doctor.

She stared out across the moonscape.

"I've got a party tonight," she said, "It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really, really..." she trailed off.

The Doctor glanced at her. "You okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Sure?"

"Yeah," she repeated.

"Want to go back in?'

"No way," said Martha, "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same... It's beautiful."

The Doctor was watching her. "You think?"

"How many people want to go to the moon?" she asked, "And here we are!"

"Standing in the Earthlight," added the Doctor.

"What do you think happened?" she asked him.

"What do _you _think?"

"Extraterrestrial," she replied confidently, "It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben. Christmas. Those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"I'm sorry," said the Doctor.

"Yeah."

"I was there," he added, "In the battle."

_The Battle of Canary Wharf. Adeola Oshodi had worked for Torchwood One._

"I promise you, Mr Smith," Martha told him calmly, "We will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith," he replied, "That's not my real name."

She glanced at him. "Who are you, then?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"Me too, if I can pass my exams," she said, "What is it, then? Doctor Smith?"

He shook his head. "Just the Doctor."

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

"Just... the Doctor."

"What? People call you _the Doctor_?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, I'm not," she told him, "As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

...

She was a big believer in the extraterrestrial, what with all the events that had occurred previously that could have had no other reasonable explanation other than the otherworldly. The Doctor was quite impressed with her calm in the face of the Judoon platoon upon the moon, while the other humans around her had panicked. Despite the pain still fresh from the loss of Rose, the Doctor tentatively decided to invite her aboard the TARDIS.

...

Martha glanced at the tall blue police box.

"And that's your spaceship?"

The Doctor nodded. "It's called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimensions in Space."

"Your spaceship's made of wood," she said, and with a sly smile added, "There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate."

The Doctor opened the TARDIS door. "Take a look."

He followed as Martha stepped through the doorway, and she stopped just inside the threshold of the expansive control room. She glanced around slowly for a moment, then stepped outside again.

"Oh, no, no." She walked around the police box exterior. "But it's just a box. But it's huge. How does it do that? It's _wood_." She knocked on the side of the big blue box, then stepped back into the TARDIS control room. "It's like a box with that room just rammed in. It's bigger on the inside."

The Doctor had mouthed _it's bigger on the inside _along with her, then said aloud, "Is it? I hadn't noticed." He shut the door behind them and tossed his coat aside, not bothering to even look to see whether it fell on the nearby coat stand or not. "All right, then. Let's get going."

Martha still had questions as she followed him to the control console.

"But is there a crew?" she asked, "Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"Just me," he told her.

She seemed surprised. "All on your own?"

"Well, sometimes I have... guests," he said slowly, "I mean, sort of friends, travelling alongside me. I had... there was, um, recently, a friend of mine. Rose, her name was. Rose, and, um... We were together, and... anyway."

"Where is she now?" she asked carefully, picking up on the discomfort in his voice.

"With her family," he replied, "Happy. She's fine. Not that you're replacing her."

"Never said I was," she told him.

"Just one trip. To say thanks," he said, "You get one trip, then back home. I'd rather be on my own."

"You're the one that kissed me," said Martha with a cheeky smile.

"That was a genetic transfer," he insisted.

"And if you will wear a tight suit..."

"Now, don't."

"And then travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date..."

"Stop it."

"For the record, I'm not remotely interested," she said, "I only go for humans."

"Good. Now then, let's have a look." He circled the console, manipulating the controls. With his back to her, he did not notice the slight disappointment on her face. "Close down the gravitic anomalizer. Fire up the helmic regulator. And finally... the handbrake!" He glanced at Martha. "Ready?"

Martha stared at him. "No!"

He grabbed hold of a large lever and grinned. "And off we go!"

He pulled the lever and slammed it down. With a violent jolt, the TARDIS shook, nearly throwing Martha off her feet. Fortunately she had managed to grab hold of the control console and maintained her balance.

"Blimey!" she exclaimed, "It's a bit bumpy!"

The Doctor reached a hand across the console. "Welcome aboard, Miss Jones."

She reached to shake his hand as best as she could while holding on with her other. "It's my pleasure, Mr Smith."

...

The thing about the Doctor was that he preferred to have an audience. He enjoyed sharing the wonders of time-space travel to the extent that just one trip with Martha in the TARDIS was not enough. She had such an inquisitive mind, and such potential to be a great companion. After a trip into the past to 1599 where they met William Shakespeare, who assisted them in the defeat of the witch-like Carrionites, the Doctor took Martha into the far future to New New York of New Earth, in the year five billion and fifty-three.

Afterwards, he decided to extend her time aboard the TARDIS once more, by taking her on a trip to true New York, on Earth in 1930. There they encountered the group of Daleks known as the Cult of Skaro.

Even after he had returned Martha to her own time and place, arriving at her home at a point in time a mere twelve hours after they had left, the Doctor couldn't help but become embroiled in the affairs of the rejuvenation experiment of Professor Richard Lazarus. After the defeat of the Lazarus monster, the Doctor had offered Martha one more trip within the TARDIS.

However, she refused.

...

"So, what d'you say?" asked the Doctor, "One more trip?"

"No. Sorry," was her reply.

"What do you mean? I thought you liked it."

"I do," she admitted, "But I can't go on like this. _One more trip_. It's not fair."

He stared at her. "What're you talking about?"

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore," she told him, "Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well, I'd rather stay here."

"Okay, then," he replied, "If that's what you want."

Martha nodded. "Right. But we've already said good-bye once today so it's really best if you just go."

She turned and walked away from the TARDIS, keeping her back to him. However, when the Doctor remained silent, still standing in the doorway of the TARDIS, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "What is it?" she asked.

"What?" he replied, "I said okay."

She stared at him. "Sorry?"

"Okay," he repeated, nodding towards the TARDIS.

Martha rushed towards him, laughing as she embraced him. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

"Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?"

...

And she certainly proved herself to be more than just a passenger. She was invaluable when the Doctor had subjected himself to the Chameleon Arch, turning himself into a human and altering his own memories in order to escape from the Family of Blood. She watched over him, helpless as he became John Smith and fell in love with a nurse at an English public school in 1913.

_You had to, didn't you? Had to go and fall in love with a human. And it wasn't me._

When the Doctor discovered that he was no longer the last of his kind, that there was another, the Master, he sent Martha to Earth on a mission to find a way to defeat the renegade Time Lord. _The Year That Never Was_. She spent a year travelling the world, telling people of the Doctor. Stories to keep him in their thoughts.

These stories were close to Martha's own heart. She was in love with the Doctor, and she knew he would never return that love. She also felt that her family needed her more than he did, so she chose to stay behind on Earth.

...

"Right then!" announced the Doctor, "Off we go! The open road! There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or back in time. We could, I don't know, Charles II? Henry VIII? I know! What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie! I bet she's brilliant!" He stopped suddenly as he realised that Martha wasn't sharing his enthusiasm. "Okay."

"I just can't," she told him.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Spent all these years training to be a doctor," she said, "Now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

"Of course not," he said with a sad smile as he hugged her, "Thank you. Martha Jones, you saved the world."

"Yes, I did," she agreed, "I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best. But you know what? I _am _good. You gonna be all right?"

The Doctor nodded. "Always. Yeah."

"Right, then." She kissed him on the cheek and walked towards the TARDIS exit. She stepped outside, then stopped for a moment before turning around and stepping back into the TARDIS again. "Cause the thing is," she continued, "It's like my friend Vicky. She lived with this bloke. Student housing, there were five of them, all packed in. And this bloke was called Sean. And she loved him, she did. She completely adored him. Spent all day long talking about him."

The Doctor folded his arms. "Is this going anywhere?"

"Yes!" replied Martha, "Cause he never looked at her twice. I mean, he liked her, but that was it. And she wasted years pining after him, years of her life, 'cause while he was around, she never looked at anyone else. And I told her, I always said to her, time and time again, I said: Get out. So this is me, getting out." She paused and reached a hand into her pocket, pulling out a mobile phone which she tossed to him. He caught it as she continued, "Keep that. Cause I'm not having you disappear. If that rings, when that rings, you better come running. Got it?"

The Doctor nodded. "Got it."

"I'll see you again, mister," she said with a smile as she turned and left through the TARDIS door.

...

And she did. Couldn't keep a good companion away. Recruited by UNIT, and now a proper doctor, Martha called the Doctor back to Earth in time to prevent a Sontaran invasion.

Then some time later, they were reunited again when the Earth was stolen and taken across the galaxy by the Daleks, and their creator, Davros.

Afterwards, she eventually decided to become a sort of freelance agent in the fight against alien threats to Earth. She was joined in this by another previous companion of the Doctor, Mickey Smith.

...

**ACT III**

...

Martha Jones ran across the open area outside an abandoned factory, surrounded by tall decaying buildings. Explosions of weapons-fire tore up the cement and overgrown weeds at her feet. She ducked down behind the corner of a ruined concrete wall, across from the ruins where Mickey Smith had been hiding. They were both dressed in black and carried automatic weapons. Mickey slid an ammo clip into his rifle as he said, "I told you to stay behind!"

"Well, you looked like you needed help," replied Martha, "Besides, you're the one who persuaded me to go freelance."

"Yeah, but we're getting fired at by a Sontaran," he told her, "A dumpling with a gun! And this is no place for a married woman."

"Well, then," she said, "You shouldn't have married me."

Mickey grinned and gestured for her to join him. She bolted across the gap, moving next to him behind the partial wall.

Neither knew that they were already in the sights of the scope of a Sontaran weapon.

Commander Jask was standing on a catwalk halfway up the outer wall of the warehouse behind them. He licked his lips, savouring the moment as the scope zoomed in on Martha, targeting her forehead.

Just as he was about to fire, there was a sudden clang and he blinked rapidly a few times before falling to the catwalk, unconscious.

The Doctor stood over Jask, a mallet in his hand, which he had just used to strike the probic vent at the back of the Sontaran's neck. A rather inconvenient place to put such a vulnerable spot. He looked down at his former companions.

"I think, if we go in here," Mickey was saying as he and Martha consulted a blueprint of the factory, "Get to the factory floor, and down past that corridor, then he won't know that we're here."

Realising that the firing had stopped, Martha glanced around and spotted the Doctor on the catwalk. "Mickey," she gasped, "Mickey!"

Mickey glanced at her, then turned to follow her eyeline to where she was looking. "Hey!" he exclaimed, taking a step forward.

The Doctor stared down at them for a moment, then turned and walked away. They exchanged glances and Mickey pulled Martha to him in an embrace as the sound of the TARDIS dematerializing was heard in the distance.

And somehow, they just knew he was saying goodbye.


	9. Chapter 9

**Terminal Station**

_The loss of a loved one can be emotionally shattering. What must it be like to spend your lives with people, knowing they are doomed to die long before you? Perhaps even to know the manner and moment of their death? Such Knowledge must be a terrible burden. I wonder if the Doctor has such knowledge about my future life? Would he share it with me if I asked? I doubt it._

-Extract from_ Observations and Analysis, A Journal,_ by Nyssa of Traken; from the Past Doctor Adventures novel _Empire of Death_, by David Bishop.

...

The Doctor turned towards the sound of commotion, glancing back to see an upset Tegan pulling along Nyssa by the arm.

"Doctor," Tegan was saying, "Doctor, talk to Nyssa!"

Nyssa was awkwardly looking down at her feet, as if embarrassed to be the sudden center of attention.

"What is it?" he asked.

Nyssa glanced up at him. "I'm not coming with you," she told him.

"What?" Despite his question, he wasn't really surprised. Nyssa was a kind soul, calm and compassionate. Even during the several occasions they had faced the Master, whom had not only killed her parents, but her entire race with the destruction of her homeworld, she had not once entertained the desire for any sort of revenge. Her gentle disposition wouldn't allow her to just sit idly by while so many around her were suffering. Especially if there were something that she could do about it. Having contracted the Lazar's Disease herself, she knew what these people were going through.

"There's too much to be done here," said Nyssa calmly.

"Tell her she mustn't," Tegan told the Doctor.

"You can't stay," said the Doctor gently, "It isn't safe. Certainly not until the Vanir have sorted out how they're to run Terminus."

"And with my skills, I can help them," insisted Nyssa, "There's the Hydromel to be synthesised, and I can do it."

"We need you too," replied an emotional Tegan.

Nyssa smiled sadly. "I've enjoyed every moment of my time aboard the TARDIS," she told them, "And I'll miss you both. But here I have a chance to put into practice the skills I learnt on Traken."

"Please, Nyssa," pleaded Tegan.

"I'm adamant," said the young woman firmly, "Please, let us part in good faith."

"You do fully understand the commitment you'll be undertaking?" asked the Doctor.

Nyssa nodded. "Yes."

"And that life here will be very hard?" he added.

"I am fully aware of that," she replied, "But I want to stay."

"Then you're a very brave person," the Doctor said with a small smile, "I wish you every luck."

Nyssa stepped forward and kissed the Doctor lightly on the cheek.

Tegan, however, wasn't so willing to let her close friend go. "She'll die here," she said, nearly in tears.

"Not easily, Tegan," replied Nyssa, her voice breaking slightly, "Like you, I'm indestructible."

...

For most of her young life Nyssa had lived on the planet Traken. It had been the only home she had ever known. Hers had been a beautiful world, the capitol of the Traken Union in the star system Metulla Orionsis. Her people were a race of pacifists, presided over by the Keeper of Traken.

_They say the atmosphere there was so full of goodness that evil just shrivelled up and died._

And then in an instant, all that was gone. Her people. Her world. The entire star system, gone completely from the face of the galaxy. The unfortunate side effect of an evil scheme devised by a renegade Time Lord who called himself the Master.

She became orphaned and homeless in a single terrifying instant.

As time went by, with nowhere else to go, she eventually came to think of the TARDIS as her home. The Doctor, Adric, and Tegan as her family. So it was not an easy decision to leave all that and stay behind on Terminus. But it was something that she felt she had to do. That she _needed _to do.

It had been a long and difficult process, but Nyssa had contributed greatly in turning the Terminus space station into a free clinic to treat those suffering from Lazar's Disease. She had even developed a more stable and effective form of the cure, and had dubbed this modified version Hydromel B. She was very proud of this accomplishment. She had used her own skills and training to conquer an epidemic.

Nowadays, her time was mostly preoccupied with running the station, synthesizing and distributing the cure to the countless individuals ravaged by the disease who arrived on Terminus on a daily basis.

On this particular day, she was processing the orders for Hydromel B to be shipped out to those on various worlds unable to travel to Terminus, when she received the report detailing the arrival of a pair of safety inspectors to the station.

She briefly wondered about this sudden unannounced visit, but did not allow herself to be worried at all about it, as she was quite confident that the space station was currently up to spec with any technical legal requirements.

She put the report aside and returned to her work, not giving it any further thought until she later came across the two safety inspectors in question.

One was a rather heavyset stocky middle-aged man of medium height with short curly brown hair, while the other was quite tall and well-muscled with closely cropped dark hair. They both wore familiar blue uniforms with well-polished silver-plated badges.

"You run quite a tight operation here, Miss," said the heavyset inspector, whose nameplate just above his badge identified him simply as Franz. "All bulkheads are airtight. No exposed wires. No leaky pipes. A-1 all around." He gave her a little salute. "We'll just be on our way now, then. Plenty more stations to peruse."

Nyssa was slightly puzzled. "You've finished already?" she asked, "You haven't been here very long."

"Uh, yeah," said the younger inspector, whose nameplate said his name was Hans, "We've got these new scanners, see." He waved the device he held. "Really wide spectrum stuff. Goes right through walls. We can pretty much scan half the station just standing in one place. Really ultra high tech."

Now, one thing that should be known about Nyssa was that she had been gifted with an extraordinary and brilliant intelligence, although she was never one to boast of this fact or felt that this made her superior to others in any way. She may have been rather naive at times when it came to social behavior, but for the most part, that didn't get in the way of her ability to sense when something was not quite right or out of place.

And she felt that now.

She casually activated the controls of a panel nearby, attempting to make it seem part of her daily routine so as not to alarm these so-called safety inspectors.

"I may not be completely up to date on all current technology in this galaxy," she told them, "But I'm fairly certain that it's not possible to inspect a station this size in such a short amount of time with any scanners that would be readily available to the safety inspection agency in this star system."

"Well, be that as it may," replied Franz, "We merely do our humble job with what we're given."

"Would probably be best if we got going, Mr Glitz," suggested Hans, "Wouldn't want to be late for our next destination."

The older male glared at him, gesturing emphatically to the nameplate on his own chest. "You're absolutely right, _Hans_," he hissed, "It is rather high time we left."

"Ah, yes, er, Mr Franz," added Hans, perhaps a bit too hastily.

They both glanced at Nyssa. The attractive young woman was watching them closely, her arms folded across her chest. She did not seem all that impressed with their performance.

The two men briefly exchanged glances before they turned and hurried to the exit. However, the well-armed security team that Nyssa had previously signalled at the control panel arrived quickly to intercept them. What resistance the two rogues were able to muster was easily countered by Terminus security. With a shake of her head, Nyssa watched as they herded them away.

...

The two men had been quite heavily armed for a pair of safety inspectors. Fortunately, security had been able to disarm them before they were able to put up too much of a fight.

As it was, Nyssa was not all that surprised in the least to learn that they were not really sent by the local safety inspection agency. When they were put into a small isolation room that security had set aside for interrogation purposes, the two men quite freely divulged every single detail of their nefarious mission. Understandably, they were more interested in staying alive than any sort of loyalty to the organization that had hired them for their task.

The individuals known as Franz and Hans were actually named Sabalom Glitz and Dibber, two self-employed independent contractors whose main field of interest concerned pretty much anything that resulted in large monetary gain. This usually led them to rather covert operations that were often more befitting the skills of a space pirate than that of interplanetary entrepreneurs.

In this instance, their immediate desire for continued survival stemmed from the fact that they had been hired to destroy Terminus and had already planted a powerful explosive somewhere aboard the space station. They had just been about to make their getaway when Nyssa had set security upon them.

"There are thousands of people aboard this station!" exclaimed Nyssa angrily, "Many are families. With _children_!"

"And granted," replied Glitz smoothly, "That horrifying fact would undoubtedly prick my conscious to the extent that I shall have several sleepless nights these upcoming weeks. But such mental distress would be lessened dramatically by the receipt of the considerably sizable payment offered by our employers. If you let us go, you could of course come with us and..." he trailed off when he saw the look on her face, and quickly added, "Or not. But leaving is still the best course of action at this point. Doesn't necessarily have to be in each other's company."

Several vials of the Hydromel B serum had been found in their possession, stolen directly from sealed storage in one of the labs. According to Glitz they had also been hired to steal a sample of the cure, in addition to the destruction of Terminus, by a large corporation known as The Company.

"The Company?" asked Nyssa.

Glitz shrugged. "Not a very original name, I admit, but the Usurians who run the organization are not particularly known for their originality. What would you expect from a species who look like a quivering mass of dried green fungus?"

Apparently, The Company wasn't very keen about the fact that they were selling an inferior form of the cure that Terminus was just giving away for free. The space station was cutting dramatically into their profits, and The Company was obviously not above sending scoundrels such as Glitz and Dibber to deal with it in a very violent manner.

Nyssa had already issued the order to evacuate the station. However, she was not willing to just leave and let Terminus be destroyed. She had worked too hard and had accomplished too much for it to end like this.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be a simple matter of finding the bomb and disarming it.

"The bomb's got sensors," explained Dibber, "If it detects someone getting too close, it'll just walk away and find a new spot to hide."

Nyssa stared at him. "Walk away?"

He nodded. "It's got legs, like a spider. It can climb up walls, on ceilings. A station this big, there's all sorts of places it can hide."

"Which is why there's no point in looking for the little crawlie," insisted Glitz, "You'll never find it in time. We've got to get off the station, preferably as soon as possible. This very instant would be a more opportune time."

"Surely you're able to deactivate it remotely," replied Nyssa.

"If we could have, don't you think we already would have?" said Glitz with a shake of his head, "All control's out of our hands. The Company didn't want us developing a conscience at the last moment and backing out of their little venture. We plant the bomb, and hightail it out as quick as we can. Not much thought was really required."

"Well, you two are not going anywhere," replied Nyssa, "You're going to take us to where you placed the bomb and help us search for it."

"And why would we do that?" inquired Glitz.

"Because I assume since you know this type of explosive better than anyone aboard this station, that you would prefer to use that knowledge to help search for it, than to just sitting locked up in the brig waiting for this place to be blown apart around you! At the very least, by saving us, you'll be saving your own lives as well."

Sabalom Glitz had never been one to refuse such a finely turned phrase.

...

Glitz and Dibber took Nyssa and a small security detail to the station's central power core. This was where they had set the mobile explosive, to maximize its destructive force.

However, the power core was enormous. It took up a sizable portion of Terminus, and the bomb could have moved anywhere. Apparently, conventional scanners were not able to accurately pinpoint its precise location, as the mobile bomb actually masked its own power source.

Even the scanning device Dibber was closely scrutinizing was having difficulty locating the explosive, despite being far more advanced than station scanners.

"This is pointless," said Glitz, not for the first time, although each progressive time it was said with a greater sense of urgency. "We will never find it now. We should just cut our losses and leave. This thing was designed not to be found. It moves of its own accord, and cloaks its own energy emissions. We're not just going to stumble across it, lying out in the open."

"Found it!" exclaimed one of the security guards.

Glitz glanced at him. "What?" He sounded more confused than relieved.

Apparently, the explosive was immobile, lying out in the open. Strangely enough, it was already deactivated.

Glitz stepped forward to stare at it. "How can that be?"

Nyssa was wondering that precise thing herself, unsure whether she should believe that the danger was truly over.

However, her worries were completey dissolved by the distinctly familiar sound that could be heard in the distance. It had been a very long time since she had last heard the sound made by the dematerialization of a TARDIS. It wasn't the type of thing one would forget so easily.

As security took away the bomb to be dismantled, Nyssa wondered why the Doctor hadn't stayed around longer, at least long enough to check in on her and say hi.

Perhaps something was wrong...

"Hopefully there're no hard feelings here," Glitz was saying, "Maybe we can go into business together. You process the Hydromel B and Dibber and I can be your distributors. You are entitled to a little profit for all your hard work, after all. As they say on Ravolox - er, I mean Earth - don't muzzle the ox that treads the grain."

...

...

**Author's note: the idea for this chapter was inspired by the Doctor Who roleplaying adventure module entitled _"Glitz and Dibber's Runaway Bomb"_, which can be found in Issue 18 of the _Diary of the Doctor Who Role-Playing Games_ fanzine by the Earthbound Timelords.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A Garden of Our Own**

The Doctor was in the TARDIS wardrobe, searching through the pockets of various jackets. For something specific. Something forgotten.

_Time. Wasting time_. He had not the_ time_.

He paused as he found an ornament within the pocket of an old black suit jacket. It was a jade brooch, carved in the shape of a serpent coiling around an eagle.

Definitely Earth in origin. 15th century, Central American.

There was a slight lump in his throat.

_Aztec._

_..._

The Doctor and the High Priest of Knowledge entered the large high-walled garden that was behind the temple, walking along one of the many mosaic paths that snaked its way through among the trimmed lawn and various flowers.

As he glanced around the brightly colored scene, the Doctor commented, "A pleasant venue for a reflective afternoon."

High Priest Autloc nodded. "Many years since High Priest Yetaxa was sealed in the tomb, a law was introduced that all who attain their fifty second year shall pleasurably pass the remainder of their lives free from responsibility and care."

So it was more of a retirement home than a recreational park, thought the Doctor as he said aloud, "Poor old souls, they must be bored to tears doing nothing."

"We often seek the accumulated wisdom of their years," replied Autloc.

"What about?"

"All manner of things," continued the High Priest, "Each person here has served the community in one way or another." He paused to point each out with a gesture. "He was a weaver of priestly garments. She was a woman of medicines. That man, an artisan of gold and silver. She, a sculptress in obsidian stone."

The Doctor noticed a small grey haired woman occupied with pruning a rose bush. "And what about her?"

Autloc glanced in the direction he indicated. "Cameca? Of all those here, her advice is most sought after. She sold vegetables in the marketplace, but her eyes were everywhere, missing nothing."

"What did you say her name was?"

"Cameca. You will find her a companion of wit and interest. And now I beg permission to depart."

The Doctor nodded. "Of course."

The High Priest of Knowledge left, returning to the temple as the Doctor casually approached Cameca.

He was holding a lapel of his jacket as he stopped beside her. "In spite of the drought, there's plenty of water for the flowers."

"Better to go hungry than starve for beauty," she replied, snipping off a rose which she then handed to the Doctor.

"Thank you," he said graciously as he took the flower, smelling it, "Mmm, all the perfume of the gods." He gestured to indicate the garden. "I find this place delightful. So restful."

"It is the Garden of Peace," she told him.

"Mmmm, a very apt description."

Cameca nodded. "The words of Chapal."

The Doctor glanced at her. "Hmm? Chapal?"

"The man who built the temple," she replied.

"Oh, he designed all this, did he?"

Cameca nodded again. "As a labour of love."

"Yes, one senses that immediately," replied the Doctor, "Does he come here often?"

"He watches over us constantly."

"Oh, I see, he's a gardener."

She smiled faintly, almost fondly. "No."

"But you just said that he watches..." The Doctor trailed off, coming to the correct conclusion just as Cameca replied, confirming his thought.

"So he does. In spirit."

"Yes, I see," he replied slowly, "He's dead."

"Yes."

The Doctor gestured to the nearest stone bench. "Please."

Together they sat in front of an elaborately decorated wall at the base of the pyramid.

"I would have liked to have met him," said the Doctor, "You knew him?"

Cameca nodded. "Well,' she replied, "His son lives."

"Ah, a builder."

"A warrior."

"Yes," said the Doctor, "Still, I suppose he knows much of his father's work. I find the temple here very fascinating."

"A meeting between you two could be arranged," suggested Cameca.

"My dear lady, I should be so grateful."

An Aztec warrior approached them, wearing an elaborate eagle helmet with many multi-colored plumes, as well as a stylized embroidered loin-cloth.

"Doctor," came his muffled voice. It took the Doctor a moment to recognize who it was.

"My dear Chesterton," he said in an amused voice, "This dear lady has promised me to arrange a meeting between myself and the son of the man who built the temple."

Ian bowed to her and said, "Most kind of you, madam."

"Pray excuse me," she told them, "Then you may talk more freely."

The Doctor watched her leave. "Charming person."

"Doctor," began Ian.

"So intelligent and gentle," muttered the Doctor.

"Doctor," said Ian, more urgently, "There is to be a human sacrifice today, at the ceremony for the Rain God. And I have to..."

This statement caught the Doctor's attention and he glanced at Ian. "Now just a minute. What are you supposed to do?"

"I must escort the victim to the altar and hold him down. Doctor, I can't-"

"Then do it man, Do it! but don't interfere! Otherwise we..."

"But..."

"There's no buts about it. If human sacrifice is essential here and it's their tradition, then let them get on with it. But for our sakes, don't interfere. Intervene and we'll be dead within the minute. Now promise me, please. Promise. I'll go and talk with Barbara."

...

"There will be no sacrifice this afternoon, Doctor," said Barbara when he met with her a short time later, "Or ever again. The reincarnation of Yetaxa will prove to the people that you don't need to sacrifice a human being in order to make it rain."

The Doctor shook his head. "Barbara, no."

"It's no good, Doctor," she replied adamantly, "My mind's made up. This is the beginning of the end of the Sun God."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Don't you see?" Barbara told him, "If I could start the destruction of everything that's evil here, then everything that is good would survive when Cortes lands."

"But you can't rewrite history!" protested the Doctor, "Not one line!"

Susan entered the room and announced, " Barbara, the high priests are coming."

"Barbara, one last appeal," pleaded the Doctor, "What you are trying to do is utterly impossible. I know, believe me, I know."

"Not Barbara," she replied, "Yetaxa."

...

The Doctor was with Cameca in the Garden of Peace, examining the various plants and flowers. "What leaf is this?" he asked.

"It's from a herb," she replied, "The sap is used by our medicine men to induce sleep, but the leaves are harmless."

The Doctor nodded. "I think I know about it."

Cameca glanced at him. "You are a healer?"

"No, no," he admitted, "They call me the Doctor, but I am a scientist, an engineer. I'm a builder of things."

"Now I understand your interest in the temple."

The Doctor nodded again. 'Yes, there are one or two features inside the temple that intrigue me."

_Most notably his TARDIS, which was trapped within a sealed tomb._

"I have some knowledge of it," she told him.

"Yes, for instance," continued the Doctor, "The tomb is sealed. Now surely the builder had some way of opening it?"

"My knowledge is too limited to answer you," she replied slowly, "But the builder's son may know."

"Yes, of course. I don't wish to pry into family matters."

She smiled at him. "No one could think that of you. I shall arrange a meeting."

"Oh, my dear," he replied, "How charming of you."

"When shall it be?" asked Cameca.

"Oh, any time," he told her, "Today?"

"An interested mind brooks no delay."

"Yes, and I'm sure that's true of you, too."

Cameca blushed slightly as she said, "It was once true. Now I am content to spend the time here like the others."

"Oh, but their minds are old, Cameca, and that's something I'm sure yours will never be."

She smiled. "Your heart is young too, Doctor." She touched his hand for a moment before leaving to arrange the meeting.

...

The High Priest of Knowledge joined Cameca in the Garden of Peace. He commented on her high spirits as they walked along a path.

"Such happiness, Cameca, outshines the sun."

"And may outlast it, Autloc," she replied with a smile.

"What brings about such joy?" he asked.

Cameca glanced across the garden to where the Doctor stood, studying a large stone carving at the base of the temple.

Autloc nodded. "Then I am grateful to him." He noticed the small leather pouch that hung from a cord around her wrist. "You carry cocoa beans. For barter?"

She shook her head. "I've been to the market and obtained food."

"Then these must be for drink."

"Only the gods may know," she said with a coy smile.

"And the mortals live in hope," replied the High Priest.

"He is a gentle companion, and most dear to me," she admitted.

"Then prepare these beans as a love potion," Autloc told her in jest.

"That would be too bold," replied Cameca seriously, "Rather he should show his love for me."

"You wish him to prepare it?"

"Yes."

"Then good fortune to both of you," the High Priest said before taking his leave.

Cameca approached the Doctor. "I greet the good and noble Doctor."

"Ah, my dear Cameca," he replied, turning away from the carving, "How nice to see you again. The garden's been a lonely place without you."

She glanced at the carving he had been examining. "If one's interest is held, loneliness does not exist."

"I was merely passing the time until you arrived," he told her, glancing back to the carving as well. A design carved into the wall, half hidden by the surrounding flowers, caught his attention. "Oh, this sign. I hadn't noticed it before."

It appeared to be the image of a coiled serpent within a circle.

"It is the sign of Yetaxa," explained Cameca, "In almost every building, honor is paid to Yetaxa."

"Oh, really?"

In her attempt to move aside the flowers covering the symbol, the pouch tied to her wrist became snagged and a small amount of cocoa beans were spilled.

"Oh, my dear," commented the Doctor, bending down to pick them up, "Cocoa beans?"

"We use these to barter for our daily needs," she told him.

"What an excellent idea," he replied, "A currency you can drink. Delicious!"

"You know our custom?" she asked as the Doctor returned to her the beans he had retrieved.

The Doctor nodded, glancing around to be sure he had not overlooked any other beans. "Yes, my dear, of course."

"The drinking of cocoa has it's own special meaning," she began slowly, almost shyly.

The Doctor nodded again. "Yes, I agree. A rare delight. We should take a cup together."

Cameca stared at him for a moment. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, yes, quite. Now, give me some beans and I'll prepare them."

"You insist upon this?" she asked, almost hesitantly.

"I do. I insist absolutely. As a token of my esteem."

Her face lit up as she handed the Doctor the pouch of beans. "The gods are smiling favor through your eyes," she replied, "May it always be so. My dear Doctor, I accept with all my heart."

"Wait here, my dear. I'll be back." With that, the Doctor left to prepare the cocoa.

...

A short while later, the Doctor had returned to the Garden of Peace, approaching the bench where Cameca sat. He handed her a goblet of hot cocoa before sitting down next to her.

"Happy days, my dear," he told her.

"The happiest of my life, dear heart," she replied as they sipped their cocoa, "Was ever such a potion brewed? In bliss is quenched my thirsty heart."

"Very prettily put, my dear."

"Oh, sweet-favored man," she said as she turned to him, kissing him on both cheeks, "You have declared your love for me, and I acknowledge and accept your gentle proposal."

The Doctor nearly choked on his next sip of cocoa.

...

Some time later, the Doctor stood in the Garden of Peace, once again examining the carved stones at the base of the temple.

"My dear," said Cameca as she approached him, "I'm glad to find you alone."

He turned towards her. "Cameca."

"I have a gift for you," she told him, "It signifies my love for you. It came from Yetaxa's tomb."

It was a brooch, carved from a single piece of jade. It was in the form of a serpent coiling around an eagle.

He was slightly taken aback. "Dear lady, I cannot possibly accept such a..." he paused as he realized what she had said. "From where?" he asked.

"The tomb," she told him, pointing to the serpent, "See, it has Yetaxa's sign on it."

"But that is the emblem of the Aztec nation," said the Doctor.

"That is so," nodded Cameca, "Only the serpent is held either in the eagle's beak or its claws. Yetaxa's sign of the coiled serpent is separate from the eagle."

"Magnificent, my dear. Where did you get it?"

"Ixta's father," she replied, "He was in love with me. He gave it to me the night before he disappeared."

"In this garden?"

"Yes, he was never seen again. But all this is a long time ago." She dismissed the topic with a gesture as she added, "And I now look forward to a life of bliss with you."

"And I with you, my dear," he said absently, as his thoughts returned to the carved wall at the base of the temple.

"Peace and contentment," she said by way of greeting.

The Doctor nodded. "Serenity."

"We must have a garden of our own," announced Cameca before she went on her way.

"Yes, why not?" he replied, glancing at the symbol of the coiled snake on the stone wall, "A garden of our own."

...

Elsewhere sometime later, the Doctor had shown the brooch to Ian Chesterton.

"That came out of the tomb," the Doctor was saying,"And the man who discovered it later disappeared in the garden. And on the wall is a stone with Yetaxa's sign on it."

Ian thought for a moment. "You mean there's a tunnel from there to the tomb?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, that's what I suspect."

Ian gestured to the brooch. "Where did you get hold of this?"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "My fiancée."

"I see." It took a moment to sink in. "Your _what_?"

"Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged." The Doctor glared at him as Ian began to chuckle, "Don't giggle, my boy, It's neither here nor there. We must find that tunnel tonight."

"Yes, all right," replied Ian, attempting to maintain a straight face. The sooner they got back to the TARDIS, the better.

"Now, I'll wait for you in the garden," said the Doctor, "And when Ixta's asleep, you come out."

"Yes, I will. All right." Before turning away, Ian added, "Oh, by the way, Doctor. Congratulations."

Ian chuckled as the Doctor scowled at him.

...

Quite some time later, within the Garden of Peace, the Doctor had been working on a pulley system to move the large stone within the temple that led to the tomb of Yetaxa where the TARDIS currently stood.

He realised he was being watched, and saw Cameca a short distance away.

"There you are, my dear," he said as she approached, "It's nearly finished."

"As is our time together," she replied sadly, "I do not know what its purpose is, but I've always known it would take you from me."

The Doctor nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm sorry, my dear."

"Tomorrow will truly be a day of darkness."

"For both of us," added the Doctor.

After a moment, she asked, "Tlotoxl is determined to destroy Yetaxa?"

"He must do to safeguard his own beliefs."

Cameca placed a hand on his arm. "We are a doomed people, my dear. There's no turning back for us."

"You're a very fine woman, Cameca, and you'll always be very, very dear to me."

Cameca left him by the base of the temple. Walking along a garden path, she was later approached by the High Priest of Knowledge.

"Cameca, I must speak with you," said Autloc, pausing as he noticed the tears in her eyes. "You are sad, Cameca."

"I have just lost all that is dear to my heart," she told him.

"The same cloud hangs over us," said Autloc, "The sunlight of the truth is darkened and I must know the reason for that darkness."

"Yours is a tragedy far greater than mine," said Cameca as she wiped her eyes.

"Yet we may help each other. Although I have lost my faith in our traditions, I keep my faith in you."

"And I in you, High Priest."

Autloc took the gold medallion that hung from a chain around his neck, "See this ornament? It proves the title to my dwelling house and all my wealth. You will take it to the one who guards Yetaxa's handmaiden. It will serve to turn his head away while you take the girl up to the temple."

Cameca nodded. "I shall do it. Where will you seek your truth?"

"In the wilderness," he replied, "Away from the influence of other men."

"You shall not search in vain," she said confidently.

"And you, Cameca, be happy in the trust I place in you."

...

Later, within the temple, Susan rushed into the chamber.

"Grandfather! Grandfather!"

The Doctor embraced her. "Oh, my dear Susan."

"Where's Barbara?" she asked.

"She's in there," he replied, gesturing to the entrance to the tomb which they had just opened with his pulley.

Susan called for Barbara as she went into the antechamber. Cameca had arrived as well, waitng for a moment until Susan was in the other room.

"I honor Autloc's trust," announced Cameca, "I bring you your handmaiden."

"That was a very brave thing for you to do, Cameca," replied the Doctor, "But you can't stay here."

"I'd hoped I might stay by your side," she told him slowly. After a moment, she added, "Then think of me. Think of me."

...

Within the tomb of Yetaxa, the time travelers stood outside the TARDIS.

"We failed," said Barbara.

"Yes, we did," agreed the Doctor, "We had to."

"What's the point of travelling through time and space if we can't change anything?" she asked, "Nothing. Tlotoxl had to win."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes."

"And the one man I had respect for, I deceived," continued Barbara, "Poor Autloc. I gave him false hope and in the end he lost his faith."

"He found another faith," the Doctor told her, "A better one. And that's the good you've done. You failed to save a civilisation, but at least you helped one man."

"I hope so," she replied, leaving the ceremonial ornaments within Yetaxa's tomb before stepping into the TARDIS.

The Doctor was about to leave the brooch Cameca had given him within the tomb as well. After all, it had come from the tomb and therefore it should be left in the tomb with Yetaxa. After a moment, he changed his mind and put the jade brooch back in his pocket.

...

**In memeory of Margot Van Der Burgh (1935 - 2008).**

**Margot Van der Burgh had appeared in two classic Doctor Who stories: as Cameca in The Aztecs, and Katura in The Keeper of Traken.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Metamorphosis**

"I am only listening to the TARDIS."

"Listening to the TARDIS? You mean it talks to you?"

"In a manner of speaking. Our data-stream rhythms are compatible, so I can access its memory banks and experience something of its travels. They are most enlightening. We have much in common, you know. We both are shapeshifters... and both serve the same master."

- Kamelion and Turlough, from the Past Doctor Adventures novel_ Imperial Moon _by Christopher Bulis.

...

"You're absolutely sure this is your decision?" asked the Doctor. When there was no reply, he looked up and glanced across the TARDIS console. "Peri?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Very well," he replied briskly, manipulating the console controls. "Never let it be said that I couldn't fulfil a straightforward request."

"It's for the best," she said slowly. Perhaps more to convince herself than him.

Her time spent travelling with the Doctor had been filled with such wonders, the likes of which Peri would never have imagined. It had been the ultimate extended vacation, and despite the dangers, had been an experience that she was glad to have had. There may have been a time when the thought of returning home was far from her mind, but as of late the wonders were few and far between, and the dangers seemed to follow the Doctor like a darkened rain cloud. After the recent encounter with the Daleks and their creator Davros within Tranquil Repose on the planet Necros, Peri discovered that the death and violence that accompanied the wonders seemingly hand-in-hand were starting to get to her. That travelling across time and space was surprisingly starting to lose its allure.

She glanced around the TARDIS control room. This large room in such a small box. "There's only so much space you can call home," she said quietly, "Sometimes it gets so big it makes me claustrophobic."

Peri realised that the time rotor at the center of the console had stopped. The Doctor activated the scanner and she glanced up at the screen.

It showed a brightly lit room, illuminated primarily by the large window that dominated the facing wall. On each side of the window was a considerably cheap, rather overladen bookshelf, and next to each bookshelf was a wooden desk. Two single, neatly made beds could also be seen, one against each side of the room.

Peri smiled faintly. "Good thing Janine wasn't in. Would creep her out seeing a big blue box appear out of nowhere."

The Doctor nodded, watching her as she turned to the luggage that was on the control room floor at her feet. He raised a finger and said, "Wait." He walked around the console and picked up the two suitcases.

"You don't need to do that," Peri told him.

"Peri, Peri, Peri," he replied, "I can't have you leaving with such a bad impression of me. Contrary to what you might think, I did not shed all my gallantry with my last regeneration." He paused and grunted. "What on Earth have you got in these?"

Peri manipulated the door control as the Doctor made his way to the TARDIS exit. "Just a few things," she said.

He grunted again, stepping out through the outer doors and into Peri's dorm room. It was exactly as she had left it, she realized as she followed him.

He placed the luggage on the floor and glanced around the room. "You'll find the time period to be not all that long after you had left. Any excess time could be explained away with vacation abroad, I'm sure."

"Thank you, Doctor."

He shrugged. "Least I could do. No reason why your integration back into your Earthly life need be uncomfortable in any way."

She smiled at him. "No. I mean thanks for everything."

"Ah."

"I have enjoyed it, y'know," she told him, "Despite everything, it has been... fun."

She winced inwardly. It had not been how she wanted to say it.

The Doctor nodded wordlessly.

"C'm'ere," she said after a moment, pulling him towards her in a hug.

A moment passed, perhaps longer than intended, and the Doctor made a show of acting uncomfortable in her embrace.

"Would you mind?" he wheezed, as if he was choking.

"Oh, sorry." She released him and took a step back. She straightened the collar of his ghastly multi-colored jacket.

"No harm done," he said slowly, glancing around the room again. A moment of awkward silence, then he added, "Remember me to Professor Foster, won't you?" He took a step towards the TARDIS. "Keep having fun, Peri. And do try to stay out of trouble."

She chuckled. "Look who's talking."

The Doctor stopped at the TARDIS door. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Doctor."

Peri watched as he stepped inside, and the TARDIS door closed. Her eyes remained fixed on the blue box as the familiar grinding wheez was heard, the lamp at its top lit up, and the TARDIS gradually faded out of time.

She glanced around the room, at the books on her dorm desk, then at the bedraggled stuffed bear next to the pillow on her bed.

"There's no place like home."

...

A voice could be heard, singing, as the Doctor entered the King's chamber.

"We sing in praise of total war against the Saracen we abhor. To free the tomb of Christ our Lord, we'll put the known world to the sword." The song stopped, as the metallic android glanced up at the Doctor, lowering the lute it had been playing. "Welcome, my demon," it said in the voice of the king.

"Your Majesty seems in need of a doctor," the Doctor said slowly.

The Master stood next to the android. "Allow me to introduce Kamelion."

"Your work?"

The Master shook his head. "Alas, modesty forbids such a claim. Kamelion is a tool of an earlier invader of Xeriphas, and instrumental in my escape from that benighted planet."

The Doctor nodded. _"This_ is your King John?"

"Look again."

The android Kamelion changed before their eyes, its features becoming what seemed to be flesh and cloth. It was now in the form of King John.

"Impressive," commented the Doctor.

"A weapon used by the invaders of Xeriphas," explained the Master, "A decoy, capable of infinite form or personality."

"Interesting," was the Doctor's reply, despite being appalled at the thought of such a remarkable android being used as a weapon.

The android king grinned. "Well said, my demon. We are a complex mass of artificial neurons."

"And controlled by?" asked the Doctor.

"Nothing more than simple concentration and psychokinetics," said the rival Time Lord, "Look again."

The Master glanced at the android, and after a short moment, the form of King John altered to become that of the Doctor.

"Can anyone play?" asked the Doctor, staring at his double.

The Master nodded. "Please."

The Doctor concentrated, and soon the form of Kamelion was that of the Master.

"Quite masterly," said the Master/Kamelion.

"You flatter me," said the Master, "However, I prefer bad King John."

...

"You would do well, my dear Doctor, to ponder that you played directly into my hand," gloated the Master.

"And into ours," added Kamelion.

"He has a mind of his own?" asked the Doctor.

The Master nodded. "Indeed. But highly susceptible."

"Dominated by our demons," replied Kamelion.

The Master continued. "You well know that the King and his dead brothers are believed to be the devil's work. Your interference here with your dreary TARDIS has only confirmed this. You are, dare I say so, discredited demons, and as such you make a unique contribution to altering the course of history. Hoist on your own petard."

"And where will you take your toy next?" asked the Doctor.

"Does it matter?" replied the Master, "You'll not be there to greet me."

"I may not need to. You forget, Kamelion does have a mind of his own."

"He obeys only my will," insisted the Master.

"Yes," replied the Doctor, "But for how much longer?"

"For as long as I command it. Kamelion will not turn on me."

"No?" The Doctor turned to Kamelion and concentrated on changing the android's appearance. However, nothing happened. The attempt had failed.

The Master laughed. "You're getting old, Doctor. Your will is weak. It's time you regenerated."

"You won't win," the Doctor told him, "Not ultimately."

The Master smiled. "You're mistaken. With Kamelion's unique ability at my command, it's only a matter of time before I undermine the key civilisations of the universe. Chaos will reign, and I shall be its emperor."

The Doctor wasn't very convinced. "Earth is a primitive planet. You won't succeed so easily elsewhere."

"Where I cannot win by stealth, I shall destroy. That way I cannot fail to win."

"You'll never succeed," said the Doctor.

The Master shrugged. "Unfortunately, you will not be alive to find out. Which reminds me." He held out a hand. "My compressor."

He was asking for his weapon of choice, the Tissue Compression Eliminator, which the Doctor had managed to relieve him of some time earlier.

"It's an instrument I prefer not to carry about me," confessed the Doctor, "It's safely in my TARDIS."

...

"I don't believe it," said Tegan, "Can you see it too?"

Turlough nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

What had caught their attention was the fact that there were two Doctors standing before them, looking exactly alike in every way.

"Let me present Kamelion," said one of the Doctors, as the other Doctor changed his form and became a gleaming metal android.

"What is it?" asked Tegan in amazement.

"_Who _is it, if you please," replied Kamelion.

"Well, Tegan, it's a long story which appears to begin on Xeriphas."

"And who knows when it will end," added the android.

"Oh," replied the Doctor, "It will end with the Master."

Tegan glanced at him. "You're not going to leave the Master here to carry out his plan?"

"Well, he's without Kamelion now," the Doctor told her, "And he won't be on Earth for much longer. I took the opportunity of leaving his compressor activated. Won't do his dimension circuits much good. He could end up anywhere except where he wants to go."

"Rather like the TARDIS, really," muttered Tegan.

...

Kamelion stood in one of the many corridors aboard the TARDIS, connected to an output socket within an open roundel in the wall.

At some point Tegan had rounded the corner and spotted him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Furthering my education," replied Kamelion in an exact imitation of the Doctor's voice, "Learning about the TARDIS."

As was her nature, Tegan was rather suspicious. "Does the Doctor know you're tapping the computer?"

"Of course," replied the android, "I won't do it any harm. You forget, I'm benign."

"So the Doctor says," she told him, "But you still give me the willies. Especially when you use that voice. Can't you find another?"

"Would you prefer this?" asked Kamelion in Turlough's voice.

Tegan grunted. "That's even worse."

...

Peri examined the design with interest. A moment passed and she frowned, realizing the glittering silver reminded her of Kamelion. The shapeshifting android had been the Doctor's companion when she joined him. However, he had come under the influence of the Master, the Doctor's arch enemy, who turned him against them. He had tried to take over the TARDIS, and then chased her across the rocky landscape of the planet Sarn, first looking like her stepfather, then appearing as the Master. Sometimes he was even a hybrid of each and his true android form. Eventually, stricken with remorse at what he saw as disloyalty to those who had become his friends, and knowing that he could no longer be trusted, Kamelion had begged the Doctor to put a merciful end to his tortured existence. It was a sad experience that she preferred not to remember.

...

The Doctor picked up the TCE.

"Kamelion. No good," said the android, his voice fritzing with static as his form switched from that of the Master to Howard Foster, "Sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Kamelion,' replied the Doctor.

The appearance of Howard Foster now had silver skin. "Destroy me. Please."

The Doctor stared at him for a moment, then turned to Peri. "Get back."

Kamelion/Foster blurred, his features rippling before settling on that of his android self.

The Doctor lifted the Tissue Compression Eliminator in his hand and reluctantly fired. The beam enveloped Kamelion and tore at the metallic android, twisting his body as it compressed it down to the size of a tiny silver doll.

...

Kamelion had been created by a race called the Gelsandorans. His mind was unique in that it was built with a telepathic component. Similar to psychic paper, his appearance could be shaped into any form based on the thoughts of others. Although he was sentient and had a mind of his own, this telepathic capability made him extremely weak-willed and susceptible to manipulation by any strong personality. He was not originally meant to be a tool of war, but this unfortunate aspect in his design made him easily manipulated when he was used during the invasion of Xeriphas. And of course in his eventual encounter with the Master.

When the Doctor managed to free Kamelion from the Master's control, he invited the android to join him and his companions aboard the TARDIS. Kamelion preferred to remain within the interdimensional interior of the timeship, out of fear of being taken over and used against these people that he came to consider as friends. The TARDIS, too, was telepathic, and the metamorphic android was most at peace when connected to the time machine, sharing thoughts and ideas.

As a result of this connection, even after Kamelion was destroyed on the planet Sarn, and unbeknownst to the Doctor and the others, something of the android had survived within the TARDIS' telepathic systems...

...

"Goodbye, Doctor."

Peri watched as the Doctor stepped into the TARDIS, the door closing shut behind him. Her eyes remained fixed on the blue box as the familiar grinding wheez was heard, the lamp at its top lit up, and the TARDIS gradually faded out of time.

She glanced around her dorm room, at the books atop her desk, then at the bedraggled stuffed bear next to the pillow on her bed.

"There's no place like home."

Aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor ran a finger along the edge of the control console. "Everything spick and span and back to normal," he said with a sigh.

The door leading further into the TARDIS interior closed behind her as Peri glanced up at the scanner where she watched her doppelganger begin unpacking the suitcases within her dorm room. "I hope so."

"You always leave a part of yourself behind, don't you?" The Doctor had meant the line as a quip, but it did not quite sound appropriate, even to him.

Peri switched off the scanner and the screen went blank.

"I'm..." she began slowly, then paused before continuing, "I'm ready to go now."

"A little too close to home?" asked the Doctor.

"Something like that," she replied.

The Doctor nodded, and busied himself at the TARDIS controls.

"Doctor," she said after a moment of silence, "We did the right thing, didn't we? Leaving her behind like that. Alone."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair as he thought of what to say to alleviate his friend's state of mind.

"The TARDIS created a child from the spark that remained of Kamelion. And like any teenager, all that Kamelion Junior needed was a sense of identity. Something that made her who she was. And she got that from you. As she grew and developed, her telepathic matrix wove itself based on your mind, your thoughts and memories. So you have nothing to worry about with leaving her behind on Earth. She's essentially you. It would be like leaving you behind on Earth."

"But isn't it-," she stopped and corrected herself, "Isn't _she _dangerous? I mean, Kamelion's mind wasn't very stable. He was so easily manipulated. She may look and act like me, but she's still an android."

"Her mind is more stable," the Doctor assured her, "And is currently locked into _your _persona. She will not be as easily manipulated as Kamelion had been, the TARDIS made sure of that. She will live your life on Earth. Your roommate, your friends, your family, they will all add to her identity, reinforcing her mental stability. Any of her android abilities have been rendered dormant. She would no more pose any threat to those around her than you would."

Peri nodded slowly. "Well, hopefully she'll be okay."

After a brief moment, the Doctor asked, "And how about you?"

She glanced at him. "Hm? Oh, I'm still good for a few more adventures yet."

"Are you sure?"

She stared at him, wondering where he was going with this. "Yes, of course. Why would you ask that?"

"Junior was rather adamant about returning home," he told her, "She was tired of traveling, of the violence. That had to come from somewhere. And everything she is had come from you."

She was silent for a moment, then stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon."

She kissed him gently on the cheek, then turned and headed through the door leading further into the TARDIS.

"I'm glad to hear it," the Doctor said quietly.

...

The current Doctor froze the image on the clipboard screen. It had been a long time since he had given any thought to Junior. However, as he was reminded of her now, a sudden worrisome thought ocurred to him.

He stood and dropped the clipboard on the sedan seat in the control room, hurrying through the doorway leading further into the TARDIS. A moment later he rushed into the room where he had secured the mysterious Vicki android.

"Are you Junior?" he blurted.

...

...

**In memory of Gerald Flood (1927 - 1989).**

**Gerald Flood was the voice of Kamelion in the classic Doctor Who stories **_**The King's Demons**_** and **_**Planet of Fire**_**.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Victorian Interlude**

"Every time we go anywhere, something awful happens. Daleks, Cybermen, and Yeti. Why can't we go anywhere pleasant, where there's no fighting? Just peace and happiness?" - Victoria Waterfield, _Fury From the Deep_.

...

She found herself thinking a lot of the Doctor as of late.

Ever since that horrible day when the skies changed, amidst the swirl of blinding colors and the most ungodly, unearthly deafening noise. The clouds dissipated and the sky seemed to tear itself apart. Then the sun was gone. In its place, the sky was filled with _planets_.

The Earth had been stolen.

Dragged across space to a distant corner of the galaxy, the world barely had time to panic, to wonder what had happened and who had such powers to do such a thing.

Then the Daleks came.

Her thoughts had immediately gone to the Doctor, her prayers to the desperate hope that he would come to save them. To save _her_.

After all, who better than that strange wonderful man to send those terrifying metal-encased monsters running back to wherever they had come.

And she had no doubt that he could do it. For she had seen it before, what seemed like so long ago now. When she had first met him.

Her father, together with a colleague of his, had been performing experiments with time travel and had somehow inadvertently established an interdimensional link to another world. To the planet Skaro, where these monstrous alien Daleks had come from.

She was imprisoned and had only been kept alive to ensure that her father continued with his experiments.

...

She stood at the window of her small room, wearing an elegant floor-length lace-trimmed dress. The room itself was practically empty, with just a simple neatly made bed, a single chair, and a small wooden table on which was a metal tray. The only thing out of place in the room was a strange device in the corner closest to the door and a digital readout panel mounted to the wall about four feet above it. It was not something one was usually likely to see in a Victorian home in the late nineteenth century.

She was feeding the birds outside, pushing pieces of toast past the metal bars on her window, when the door swung open and a Dalek entered.

She swallowed, attempting to control her fear as she pressed herself against the wall.

The single eyestalk on the dome atop the metal creature scanned her for a moment before turning and focusing on the plate of eggs and toast on the tray on the table nearby.

"You have not eaten," the Dalek stated in a shrill monotone voice, "You will eat. That is an order." When she did not reply, it turned towards her and added, "Answer!"

She nodded, terrified, and it took all she could muster to scream out a single word. "Yes!"

The Dalek noted her position within the room, as well as the crumbs at the window sill. "You will not feed the flying pests outside," it told her. "Answer!"

She nodded again and managed another "Yes!"

"Move to the machine," demanded the Dalek, waving its metal clamp-like claw towards the anachronistic machine in the corner. "Move!"

She was trembling as she slowly made her way to the device, stepping onto it as it began to emit a high-pitched whine.

The digital display lit up, strange mysterious symbols that she did not recognize.

The whine died away as the machine performed whatever task it was meant to do.

"Move," ordered the Dalek. When she did not move fast enough, it repeated the order. "Move!"

She hurried to where she had been previously standing, at the far side of the room near the window.

The Dalek examined the digital display. "The weight of your body has fallen by seventeen ounces," it told her, "Your heartbeat is too rapid. Your nervous system is in disorder."

"What do you expect?" she muttered. Finding a small ounce of courage within herself, she continued, "What do you expect? For pity's sake, let me go!"

The metal eyestalk turned towards her. "Speak when you are told to speak!" replied the Dalek as it deactivated the machine. "More food will come. You will eat it, or you will be fed by force!"

With that, the Dalek left the room, the door closing behind it.

...

It was no different this second time. She was imprisoned within her own home, a Dalek outside the door, preventing any attempt to flee.

That familiar terrifying shrill voice.

"You will remain in your home. Any resistance will be met with force. Disobey, and you will be exterminated!"

The only difference was that she was now much older. Back then, she was very young, a mere teenager. One that had led a sheltered life which was the norm for women from wealthy British families in that period of the nineteenth century.

She was so much older now. Had seen so much within her lifetime. It was as if that first encounter with the Daleks had been her initiation into the weird and wonderful that she was to eventually experience in her travels with the Doctor. A terrifying, horrible initiation. For it was her first encounter with the Daleks that had made her an orphan.

Her father had given his life to save the Doctor. Despite this, she did not resent or blame the Doctor in any way for his involvement. It was quite likely that the Daleks would have killed her father anyway once his experiments were complete. And killed her as well.

...

"Where is my father?" she asked, but her heart sank at the look on the Doctor's face. However, she still needed to know the answer. "Is he dead?"

"Yes," replied the Doctor sadly, "Yes, I'm afraid he is. But he didn't die in vain." He gestured to where the Dalek city stood in flames. "I think we've seen the end of the Daleks forever." He turned to the young man with them who wore a Scottish kilt. "Jamie, we must get along to the TARDIS. It's over there."

"We can't leave her alone, Doctor," whispered Jamie, in what he had thought was out of her range of hearing.

"We're not going to leave her," the Doctor told him, "She's coming with us."

...

Not that she had much of a choice in the matter at the time. Stranded as she was on an alien world, her only way back home was with the Doctor. Although there wasn't anything left for her to go back to.

Her mother had died when she was very young. She had no siblings, no other close family that she knew besides an aunt. No ties, no home other than a large old empty Victorian house.

There wasn't anything left that she wanted to go back to. She was lost, and relied on the Doctor to give her life a sense of direction.

It wasn't very long before she had begun to view the Doctor's wondrous travel machine, the TARDIS, as her home.

...

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor turned to her.

"There we are," he said, "Well, what do you think?"

She glanced around the large control room, a sudden contrast to the outward appearance of the strange blue box. "I don't know," she replied slowly, "I can't believe it. It's so big. Where are we?"

"Oh, it's the TARDIS," replied the Doctor proudly, "It's my home. At least, it has been for a considerable number of years."

She glanced at the central control console. "What are all these knobs?"

The Doctor glanced at the console. "What, these?"

"Instruments," piped in Jamie, "These are for controlling our flight."

She glanced at him and chuckled. "Flight?"

Jamie nodded. "Well yes. You see, we travel around in here through time and space."

She began to laugh and the Doctor glanced at her.

"Oh no, no, no, no, don't laugh," he said kindly, "It's true. Your father and Maxtible were working on the same problem. But the TARDIS is a rather special model, which enables me to travel through the universe of time."

"How can you?" she asked, "I mean, if what you say is true then you must be, er, well... how old?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Well," he replied slowly, "If we count in Earth terms, I suppose I must be about... four hundred... yes, about four hundred and fifty years old." He nodded as he noticed the surprised glance between her and Jamie. "Yes, well, quite." He paused and turned to Jamie as he added, "Now, I think Victoria might find that dress a little impractical if she's going to join us in our adventures. Jamie, show her where she can find some new ones, will you?"

She glanced down at the long flowing laced dress that she wore. It was what any proper mid-Victorian lady would wear. A thick lace-trimmed overskirt, with an underskirt and three layers of petticoats. Her skirts were held out from her body by what seemed like a basket-like cage which admittedly took up a great deal of room. There was definitely the risk of others tripping over her skirts, not to mention herself despite how used she was to wearing them. If any further adventures were similar to her encounter with the Daleks, then she conceded that perhaps these were not the most practical of garments.

"Aye, right. This way, Victoria," said Jamie as he gestured towards the doors that led further into the TARDIS. He turned back to the Doctor. "Try to give us a smooth take off, Doctor. We don't want to frighten her."

The Doctor glared at him. "A smooth take off? A smooth take off! What a nerve!"

...

Jamie had returned to the control room after leaving her in the TARDIS wardrobe room, with a vast collection of clothing to choose from. She remembered feeling so overwhelmed, not just by the immense wardrobe, or even the amazing size of the TARDIS interior, but by the sudden change her life had just taken.

She absently ran a finger over the fabric of a shear pink dress which was trimmed with teardrop-shaped pink beads, thinking that her life was forever changed. That her past was gone, and moving forward, she needed a way to express her acknowledgement that she herself had changed. That she was no longer the scared little girl that she had been, or the stuffy proper English lady that she undoubtedly would have become.

She was different, and whatever was to become of her, it would largely be the result of that moment.

Victoria Maud Waterfield. In the TARDIS. With Jamie and the Doctor.

...

The Doctor and Jamie were examining the scanner screen when she returned to the TARDIS control room.

After a brief moment, she let out a rather discreet cough. "Ahem."

They turned towards her to see that she was now clad in a simple dress that ended just above the knee. She was later informed by the Doctor that the dress had originally been worn by a girl named Polly, from a period in Earth's history practically a full century after her own time.

"Och, that's far better," said Jamie with a smile.

The Doctor however had noticed the two bright spots that were her cheeks.

"Now Jamie," he told him, "Ladies weren't used to showing so much of their legs during Queen Victoria's reign." He turned to her and added, "Don't worry, dear, you look very respectable."

She shook her head, still blushing as she gestured to the doors leading further into the TARDIS interior, more specifically towards the wardrobe room.

"All you have there are children's clothes like this." She held the end of her short skirt, as if pulling on it in an attempt to lengthen it. "I wore such skirts when I was little. You've made me look like... like _Alice in Wonderland_!"

The Doctor smiled, and she assumed that, with her wide blue eyes and long fair hair, she must have looked very much like Alice to him.

Jamie began to laugh, and she realised that his kilt wasn't any longer than her new dress.

The Doctor gestured to the scanner display. "We're about to land," he announced, "Atmosphere's breathable. Gravity's similar to Earth. We won't need space-suits."

"Aye," replied Jamie as he checked that his sharp dirk was still in its spot in the sheath within his long checkered sock. "I'll no' be sorry to stretch my legs, Doctor."

"I can't go out like this," she protested, "What if someone saw me?"

"Then ye'll just have to stay here... _Alice_!" teased Jamie with a broad grin at her outraged expression.

...

No desires to go back, she had no choice but to go forward, sharing in the adventures with Jamie and the Doctor. Jamie was like an older brother, protective and caring, despite his generous amount of teasing. And the Doctor was like a father figure, or at the very least, a rather odd uncle that usually ingratiated himself into many of the family special occasions.

...

"Are you happy with us, Victoria?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, I am," she replied. After a moment, she added, "At least, I would be if my father were here."

"Yes, I know," he said, "I know."

"I wonder what he would have thought if he could see me now," she continued.

"You miss him very much, don't you?"

"It's only when I close my eyes," she told him, "I can still see him standing there, before those horrible Dalek creatures came to the house. He was a very kind man, I shall never forget him. Never."

"No, of course you won't," replied the Doctor, "But, you know, the memory of him won't always be a sad one."

"I think it will," she said quietly, "You can't understand, being so ancient."

He blinked. "Eh?"

"I mean old," she quickly added.

The Doctor nodded, smiling slightly, "Oh."

"You probably can't remember your family," she said.

"Oh yes, I can when I want to," he told her, "And that's the point, really. I have to really want to, to bring them back in front of my eyes. The rest of the time they sleep in my mind, and I forget. And so will you." He noticed her doubtful glance and added, "Oh yes, you will. You'll find there's so much else to think about. So remember, our lives are different to anybody else's. That's the exciting thing. There's nobody in the universe can do what we're doing." He patted her arm gently and smiled at her. "You must get some sleep and let this poor old man stay awake."

...

As wonderful and exciting as her adventures with Jamie and the Doctor were, they certainly weren't without their fair share of dangers. However, if anything, her first encounter with the Daleks had prepared her for the existence of extraterrestrial life. So she was generally able to take it in stride when she was faced with the likes of Cybermen, Ice warriors, and alien controlled robotic Yeti.

However, after a while it all eventually began to take their toll, and as much as she loved being with Jamie and the Doctor, she soon came to realize that she just wanted a chance to settle down.

So when they landed on Earth in the late 1960's, she ultimately decided to stay behind, despite the fact that it was a century after the time period she had been born to. She became the foster daughter to a wonderful couple, Maggie and Frank Harris.

...

The Doctor had noticed the tears welling up in her eyes.

"You don't want to come with us, do you, Victoria?" he asked kindly.

"I don't know," she said slowly, finding it difficult to look at him, "I don't really want to leave you."

The Doctor nodded. "Well, I suspected as much."

"Would you mind?" she asked hesitantly.

"Victoria, you can't," protested Jamie.

"Just a minute, Jamie," the Doctor told him firmly. He turned back to her and added, "You mean you want to stay here and settle down? Well, if you want to, you must."

"I'm so sorry..."

"No, that's all right, my dear." The Doctor paused for a moment before turning to Maggie. "Mrs Harris, I wonder if you'd mind if Victoria stayed with you for a little while. You see, she's got no parents or home and it is a bit difficult."

"Well, of course," said the kind woman. She turned to Victoria and added, "We'd be delighted to have you for as long as you want to stay."

"Oh, would you?"

Maggie Harris nodded with a smile. "Yes."

"Thank you very much," said the Doctor, "Jamie and I will stay for another day, just in case you want to think again."

"Look, we'll talk it over later," said Jamie.

"Now, Jamie," the Doctor told him, "She must make up her own mind. It's her own life. It's her decision. We must not interfere."

"Aye," muttered Jamie.

The hurt look on his face had tore at her heart.

...

Jamie McCrimmon. Even now, after all these years since they've gone their separate ways, she thought quite fondly of Jamie. She had thought of him as a protective brother, but they had gotten rather close in the short time they had been together. She was certain that, had she stayed aboard the TARDIS, they would have become something more.

...

"You're still not sure, are you?" Jamie had asked later that night.

"Yes, I'm sure now," she told him, "But it doesn't make it any easier leaving you and the Doctor."

He nodded. "Aye, we've been together a long time now. Has the Doctor said anything to you?"

She shook her head. "No. But you know what he's like. He wouldn't. He believes in people making up their own minds."

"Oh, Victoria. Do you think you'll be happy here?"

"I think so," she replied, "The Harrises are very nice people."

"Yes, I know that," said Jamie, "But they're not from your time, are they?"

"I wouldn't be at ease back in Victorian times," she said, "I had no parents or family left there anyway."

"Aye, that's true," he sighed, "Oh, well." He turned to leave.

"Jamie."

He stopped and glanced at her. "Yes?"

"You wouldn't go without saying goodbye, would you?"

"Och, no, of course not!" He paused for a moment, as if there was something more he wanted to say. However, it seemed his courage failed him and he shook his head. "That won't be till the morning anyway," he told her, "Goodnight, Victoria."

"Goodnight, Jamie."

The next morning, she had watched as Jamie and the Doctor entered the TARDIS. She cried as that wonderful blue box faded away.

...

Time passed, and she was happy with her new life. It hadn't taken her very long to become accustomed to a century much more technologically advanced than that which she had come from. She attributed this fact to her time aboard the TARDIS. To her travels with Jamie and the Doctor, and the wonderful amazing things she had seen.

She missed those times, but she did not miss the danger. The horrors of terrible monsters and alien creatures intent on death and destruction.

She settled into her new life, wondering if she would ever see the Doctor and Jamie again, but expecting that she never would.

Until one day, a few years after she had left the TARDIS, she found the tall blue box parked outside her home.

Her heart skipped a beat and she stood there for a moment, staring wide-eyed at the familiar police box.

_They had come back to her._

However, she soon discovered that much had changed within the alien time machine.

Jamie was no longer with the Doctor, having long since been sent back to his own time and place in history.

And the Doctor himself was different. Not older as she would have thought, but physically _different_. His appearance had changed, and she did not recognize this new Doctor. This strange man in a dark brown felt jacket and cream-colored panama hat. There had not been a single cloud in the sky, yet he carried a brightly colored umbrella with a red question mark shaped handle.

Yet it was his eyes, although different than the Doctor she had known, that convinced her that this was indeed the person that had taken her away from the Dalek homeworld after her father had died. It had sparkled with a brilliant intelligence and a kind warmth that she had seen so many times in the eyes of the man she had known.

This was indeed the Doctor.

And with her consent, he had taken her on a brief visit back to her own time, to the late 1860's of Victorian London.

...

She was uncomfortable wearing the many layered skirts of the old lace-trimmed dress that she had worn what seemed like so long ago. She had discovered the dress still hanging within the TARDIS wardrobe room where she had left it, and was surprised to find that it still fit.

"Are you glad to be back in your own time, Victoria?" asked the Doctor as they walked together, along the streets of Victorian London.

She glanced around at their surroundings, taking in the sights and sounds of a city that she had thought she would never see again. At least not like this. Not the way she remembered.

"I miss it sometimes," she admitted with a smile, "But I'm happy in the twentieth century with my adoptive parents."

"I'm pleased," the Doctor told her. After a brief moment, he added, "We are here for some rather important business."

She nodded. "Yes, I know," she replied, "There are papers to sign, letters to be sent, monies to be transferred..." She trailed off.

"Are you sure it won't upset you?" he asked.

The concern in his eyes held the same warmth of the Doctor she remembered.

"Father is dead," she said calmly, "He died on Skaro, a victim of those horrible Dalek creatures."

"Yes, well, you know that," replied the Doctor, "And I know that. But as far as the authorities of this time believes, he died in a house fire in Canterbury."

"I'm his sole heir," she continued, "I can do with his money and his properties what I want."

The Doctor nodded. "It must be your own decision, Victoria."

"I trust you, Doctor," she told him, "I'll do what you want me to do. And after that..." She trailed off again.

He glanced at her. "Yes?"

"I'd like to see my aunt," she said, "It's been so long since I last saw her. She's all the family I have left in this time."

"Of course," replied the Doctor.

...

It was a welcome diversion, but she no longer belonged to that time and place. The twentieth century had become her home.

The Doctor returned her to her adoptive family, and then went on his way.

She never saw him again after that, or that blue police box of his.

However, separated as she was from the Doctor, it soon proved hard for her to separate herself from alien influence. The alien entity that they had known simply as the Great Intelligence, in control of the robotic Yeti, once again found her, manipulating her and the New World University she had established in the early 1980's.

In the mid-90's she was able to fight against the alien intelligence with the help of UNIT and Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, as well as a reporter named Sarah Jane Smith.

...

"Victoria Waterfield," said Sarah Jane Smith, "That's you on the list, isn't it? At the London Event?"

Victoria was caught off guard. The London Event was the code name given to the second attempt of the Great Intelligence to attack Earth, its legion of robotic Yeti roaming within the London underground. That had been where the Doctor, Jamie, and herself had first met Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, then a colonel within UNIT.

"You must have been very young then," added Sarah Jane Smith.

Victoria nodded, recovering her composure enough to give a teasing smile as she said, "Considering I was born over a hundred and forty years ago."

Sarah Jane half laughed. "Peanuts, I used to know someone..." She trailed off, as if embarrassed and continued, "No. Sorry, I mean, you don't look a day over..."

Victoria chuckled. "I don't feel a day over..."

...

And now, in the early part of the twenty-first century, the Daleks had stolen the Earth. Planets filled the sky, and the future of humanity looked horrendously bleak.

However, just when there seemed there was no hope in sight – that there was no possible way the situation could get any better – the terror was mercifully short-lived. In a streak of temporal displacement, the Earth was pulled back to its rightful place in the galaxy, and the Daleks where sent running.

There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that the Doctor had been involved.

That whatever appearance that wonderful man now had, and whatever companions accompanied him on his travels, she had no doubt that it was the Doctor who had once again saved the Earth from a horrible fate.

She did not need any visual confirmation for this. She knew it for a fact. She knew it in her heart.

The Doctor was still the closest family she had, in any time period.


	13. Chapter 13

**Darkness**

"I met a Time Lord called the Doctor. I've no idea what his real name was. Like many Gallifreyans he just uses the title, nothing else."

-Vislor Turlough, from _Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma_, by Tony Attwood.

...

He awoke with a start.

During the initial moment of disorientation, he blinked several times, trying to adjust his eyes to the surrounding darkness. After that passed, he found himself blinking a few more times just to ensure that his eyes were open.

He discovered that he couldn't see a thing. He was surrounded by complete darkness.

He didn't have much time to contemplate the reason behind this worrisome detail, however, for it was soon replaced by another rather worrisome detail when he attempted to sit up.

He found that he couldn't.

His forehead struck a rather hard surface, and he immediately lay back down again.

There was a frantic moment as he assessed the situation. Unable to rely on sight, he took in his surroundings by touch, his hands and feet moving about around him. It didn't take very long to do this, as the structure he was inside did not seem to be very big. It was a long box, barely large enough to leave a few hands-breadth between its sides and his body.

A coffin?

In a moment of panic, he pushed at the sides with his hands, with his feet. Pushing, then punching and kicking. Striking the inside surface of the box with as much force as he could muster.

To no avail. There wasn't even the slightest give.

He closed his eyes and tried to slow his frantic breathing, tried to calm himself, pushing back the growing feeling of claustrophobia as he tried to rationalize what was happening to him.

He was inside a box. Possibly a coffin.

Possibly buried?

What had happened? How had he gotten there?

For a brief unsettling moment, he wondered if he was dead. If he had died, and was now being tormented in an endless waking nightmare, surrounded by darkness.

He pushed the thought aside with a forced clinical detachment.

Rubbish. Such thoughts were ridiculous. He wasn't dead. He was in a box. _Trapped._

His mind racing, he tried to remember what had happened, where he had been before losing consciousness. No immediate memory came to mind. He could not recall the events that lead to his current predicament. He couldn't remember anything from before waking within this box.

A memory did surface, however, as he was suddenly reminded of another time he had thought that he had died.

...

It had been quite some time ago, during his exile on the planet Earth. He had just been in an automobile accident, and in an extremely disorienting moment, he appeared to be outside of his own body, staring down at himself from a short distance above.

There had been someone else on this otherworldly plane with him, a dark shadow in the corner of his eye.

"Who are you?" he had tentatively asked.

"A friend," replied a deep male voice, in a tone that seemed to contradict the given statement.

"What is this place?"

"There's no need to be afraid," the voice told him. Again, in a manner that seemed to state otherwise.

"Then tell me who you are," he demanded.

"Your guardian," was the reply, "One who has your interests at heart."

He glanced down at his physical body, motionless in the crumpled car below them.

"Am I dead?" he asked.

"No," replied the dark shadow, "Merely sleeping."

He glanced from the damaged vehicle to the buildings in the distance, the primitive English public school that he suffered attendance. The tedious routine, the discipline and invented traditions. He hated it all.

"I don't think I'd really care if I were dead," he said, "I hate Earth."

He could sense the gaze of the dark figure upon him. His personal guardian angel of death.

"You would like to leave?"

"Is it possible?" he asked.

"All things are possible."

"Then get me away from here," he pleaded, "Please!"

"But first, we should have to discuss terms."

And with that, he had made a pact with darkness.

...

He had not been dead then, and he was quite certain that he was not dead now.

He was trapped in a box.

And it wasn't as if he was suffering from a case of amnesia. He _had _memories.

His name was Vislor Turlough. He was from the planet Trion. His mother had been killed during the civil war on his planet, and his father and brother had been exiled to the planet Sarn, while he himself had been exiled to Earth.

He remembered his past and personal details of his life. He just couldn't remember where he had been or what he had been doing prior to being put in this box.

He tried calling for help.

Knocking on the inside of the box with his fists and kicking with his feet, he shouted as loud as his lungs would allow. He eventually stopped a short time later with the thought that it was probably a futile gesture. If he was buried alive in this box, then what was the chance anyone would be able to hear him? He also had no idea how long he had been here. He assumed he only had a limited supply of oxygen left. He had no items or tools on him that would be any help in escaping.

The current outlook seemed quite grim.

...

He looked down at his unconscious body below, wondering how long he could be outside of it like this. Perhaps taking the Brigadier's car had not been a very good idea after all.

"We haven't much longer," announced his shadowy guardian, as if anticipating his thoughts, "I need to know that I have your assent to our arrangement. You will find me the most accommodating of partners."

The guardian had taken form before him, that of a man cloaked all in black.

"But... _murder?"_ replied Turlough, "I'm not sure I could go that far."

"You will be destroying one of the most evil creatures in the universe," insisted the dark guardian, "He calls himself the Doctor."

Not a particularly villainous title, Turlough thought as he asked, "Why can't you destroy him? You have powers."

"I may not be seen to act in this," replied the man in black, "I must not be involved."

Turlough shook his head. "I need time to think."

"There is no time. Yes or no?"

His vision was becoming blurry as he felt himself being tugged back towards his body in the car below. "Don't send me back to Earth. Please."

"Yes or no?"

"Yes!"

...

He often found himself thinking of his time aboard the TARDIS. That fateful encounter with the Black Guardian had sent him on a journey he would have never expected or imagined.

His mission had been to kill the Doctor.

Looking back, Turlough did not particularly like the person he had been. He had been selfish, the type of person who had no qualms against going so low as to lie or manipulate any situation into going his own way. He didn't consider himself a coward, more as a survivalist who preferred to avoid that which did not go in his favor.

Even so, the thought of murder, even to free himself from his exile on that horrendously intolerable little planet, did not sit well at all with him.

He may have been able to go so far as to complete his dark mission, if he would have been able to convince himself that the Doctor had been the monster the Black Guardian had painted him out to be. That he was deserving of the destruction the dark being had hoped for the Time Lord.

But from the first moment he met the Doctor, Turlough could sense that everything the Black Guardian had said had been a lie.

The Doctor wasn't evil. The Black Guardian had merely been enraged over the loss of the Key to Time, a powerful artifact which the Doctor had kept from the evil entity's reach during a previous encounter.

As far as Turlough could understand, the Black Guardian had wanted the Key to Time to tip the balance of the universe, plunging it into utter chaos. His plans foiled by the Doctor, the Black Guardian had vowed vengeance on the Time Lord.

And he had chosen Turlough as his tool to that end.

...

"Waking or sleeping, you can never escape me, Turlough."

Turlough jumped out of bed and rushed to the door of the school infirmary but found it locked.

He twisted the doorknob. "No, please," he muttered. Glancing back, he saw himself, still sleeping in the bed. The Black Guardian had taken him from his usual plane of existance once again.

The Black Guardian was there, tall, cloaked in black.

"You see, wretched, duplicitous child, I know your every innermost thought."

"Leave me alone, please!"

"I invade every particle of your being. You will never be free of me until our bond is honoured."

Turlough shook his head. "The Doctor isn't as you say."

"I am the Black Guardian! The Doctor's good is my evil."

"No!"

"You will absorb my will. You are to be consumed with my purpose."

"No!"

"The Doctor shall be utterly destroyed!"

...

In the end, however, Turlough was unable to go through with it. He could not kill the Doctor.

As the Black Guardian himself had said, the Doctor was _good._

It was more than just a word. More than just a quality or sense of being.

There was something about the Doctor that not only exuded this quality, but also brought it out in others.

...

"Tegan," he began.

She glanced at him. "What?"

"If you ever had to kill someone, could you do it?" he asked.

"No," she said, then paused, "I don't know." She thought for a moment before adding, "If it was important, to save my friend, to defend myself."

Turlough nodded. "But cold-bloodedly?"

Tegan shook her head. "You're weird, Turlough. What a subject to bring up at a time like this. Come on, let's find the control room."

...

He had defied the Black Guardian. He refused to kill the Doctor.

His time aboard the TARDIS, with the Doctor and his companions, even as one of those traveling companions, made him want to be a better person. It _made _him a better person.

If Turlough was still the person he had been before, trapped in this box as he was now, he would no doubt be willing to do anything to get out. Lie, cheat, steal, sell his soul, and most likely even murder, just to survive, to get out of a seemingly hopeless situation.

But now, because of the Doctor, because of the person he had become from his time traveling with the Doctor, Turlough was at peace with the idea that these may be his final moments.

Turlough gritted his teeth and struck the side of the coffin, once more yelling as loud as he could for help.

Okay, maybe he wasn't completely at peace with the situation.

After a moment, he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing in an attempt to calm himself again.

_It wasn't going to end this way_, he told himself.

_This was not-_

"Did you really think you could escape me, boy?"

Turlough opened his eyes. His sense of direction was off. He was unable to tell if he was still lying down or standing. Despite being surrounded by complete darkness, he could clearly see the figure before him.

A tall menacing figure cloaked in black.

"While the Doctor is still alive, I am never far from you, Turlough."

While it was a rather unexpected turn of events, Turlough found that he was not really all that surprised. It was the answer to the question of how he had gotten in his current predicament.

"What do you want from me?" he demanded, "After all this time. I'm not killing the Doctor. I'm not killing _anyone._ You can't control me anymore."

The Black Guardian glared at him. "Watch your arrogance, boy. Even now, the Doctor's time is finally coming to an end. I have no need of your traitorous assistance."

The Gaurdian's voice boomed in cadence, permeating the darkness and echoing within Turlough's head.

"I owe you nothing," replied Turlough, "I gave up Enlightenment. You have no-" He trailed off for a moment and quickly added, "What do you mean the Doctor's time is coming to an end?"

"You have more pressing concerns," the Guardian told him, "I hold your life in the balance, the choice of life or death in my hands, the desire to crush you swaying the decision. You face oblivion, yet your thoughts are for the welfare of someone else."

The final part of this statement twisted around the Black Guardian's tongue, as if said with distaste.

"You have changed much from the snivelling creature you once were."

It was clearly meant to be an insult, but Turlough was inclined to agree.

"Yes, I'm no longer the wretched person I used to be. I'm not afraid of a monster like you. If you're going to kill me, then just get it over with. I'd rather it end now than listen to you any longer."

With that said, Turlough closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.

...

"My exile has been rescinded."

The Doctor nodded, as if realizing where the conversation was headed.

"I'm pleased for you," he replied.

"Doctor, I..." Turlough trailed off, not quite sure what else to say.

"I shall miss you," the Doctor told him.

"I don't want to go, Doctor," he said after a brief moment of silence, "I've learnt a lot from you. But I have to go back to Trion. It's my home."

The Doctor nodded again, and with a slight grin replied, "Better to go back while you're a bit of a hero, eh?"

"Thank you for everything, Doctor," said Turlough as they shook hands. He glanced at Peri, the young woman whom had recently joined the TARDIS crew. "Look after him, won't you? He gets into the most terrible trouble."

...

Turlough stood, his eyes closed, surrounded by darkness, as he waited for the Black Guardian to send him to oblivion.

"I'm not usually one to say this sort of thing to someone like you, but you are rather _cute_."

Turlough blinked as he opened his eyes.

The darkness was gone. He stood within his home on Trion, sunlight shining through the windows as he glanced around at his surroundings.

The Black Guardian was nowhere to be seen. In his place stood a tall attractive woman with long black hair.

"Who are you?" he asked in confusion, "What is this? What do you want from me?"

She smiled at him, a bright gleaming smile. Her teeth were almost impossibly white.

"All those thoughts jumbled within your limited mind," she replied in a soft lilting voice, "Why must Ephemerals always attempt to articulate every thought at once?" She sighed. "Very well. If you absolutely must have a name, then you may call me Karma. And if this which you are referring to, the reason for my deception, then let's just say I needed to orchestrate a situation in order to gauge your reaction. And, well, that's all I wanted from you."

He stood there for a moment, staring at her. "Ephemeral?" He blinked, his mind racing. "You're an Eternal."

She nodded, still smiling. "Yes. Very perceptive."

"And all this was just you?" he asked slowly, "The Black Guardian is not involved in any way?"

Karma nodded again. "You need not worry. Apparently you are no longer significant enough to warrant any thought. This was all my own, shall we say, little experiment."

"Experiment?" he echoed, "To what end? Why did you put me through all this?'

"During your previous encounter with my kind, you may have gathered that we Eternals lack a certain quality. Something that you would refer to as humanity. Emotions, creativity, shiny lip gloss with sparkles. Eternals do not require these things. But there are some of us who are drawn to them. We are fascinated."

Turlough grunted. "So I was your entertainment."

"Not in the way that you'd think," she told him, "My fascination is more with the one you call the Doctor. The lives he has touched, those forever changed just by simply knowing him. Take yourself, for example. You first joined the Doctor with the initial goal to kill him. However, not only did you refuse to kill him, but in doing so you defied one of the Guardians of Time. Just your knowing the Doctor changed your very nature. It made you a better person. It made you _want_ to be a better person." Karma shrugged and absently glanced around the room. "I find that fascinating."

Turlough rubbed his eyes, glad to no longer be imprisoned in darkness.

"What did you mean when you said earlier that the Doctor's time is coming to an end?" he asked.

Karma smiled knowingly, as if choosing her words carefully. After a moment, she simply said, "Nothing to concern yourself. It was merely mentioned for dramatic effect in my little experiment. I apologize for any discomfort you may have experienced. Be well, Turlough. We will not meet again."

With that, the Eternal vanished within the blink of an eye.

Turlough stood for a moment, staring at the spot where she had been. He had a sinking feeling that he couldn't fully explain, not sure whether he truly believed the Eternal's parting words.

Was the Doctor's time truly coming to an end?


	14. Chapter 14

**The Witch in the Wardrobe**

The wardrobe aboard the TARDIS was a rather large room, consisting of two levels, a series of racks, a spiral staircase, and several mismatched pieces of furniture.

And obviously clothes, of course. It wouldn't be a wardrobe without clothes. They filled the racks, were piled on chairs, and tossed over large ornate mirrors. There were little piles in seemingly random areas of the floor, some folded neatly, some not so much. Clothes from across the universe. Men's clothes, women's clothes, clothes which were not as easily identifiable. Clothes of various fabrics and colors. It was undoubtedly a room that would put the wardrobe of any major theatre production to shame.

As many times as Romana had been in this room, she always seemed to find something new, some article of clothing that she had not noticed before. There was much that fit her specific taste, and much that quite decidedly did not.

She was unable to fully explain it, but somehow she had always found this room to be strangely relaxing. Oddly calming, despite almost looking as if a small sized tornado had suddenly struck it. She often entertained the notion of perhaps straightening the room up some day, but there was just too much covering such a large area that she just didn't know where to start.

So when the time came for her worn and shattered body to renew itself, this was where she found herself, waiting for regeneration. She had decided to keep the true nature of her injuries from the Doctor, so as not to needlessly worry him. She had managed to maintain her composure as she left the Doctor in the TARDIS control room, where he was fiddling with something on the central console.

However, upon entering the wardrobe, the facade dropped and she clutched her chest, gasping in pain.

Her left-side heart had just stopped.

She stood there for a moment and glanced around the room, slowing her breathing in an attempt to reduce the pain enough to be at least tolerable. She winced as she stumbled, falling to her knees.

That was when she saw the strange woman.

A rather tall young woman with fair skin and long silky blonde hair, she wore a thin pink dress, trimmed with teardrop-shaped pink beads. Her eyes were an unnaturally brilliant blue.

"Oh you poor thing," she said in a smooth voice, almost appearing to glide across the floor as she walked towards Romana.

Romana blinked and stared at her, gasping, unable to speak as sharp stabs of pain shot through her chest.

The woman stood before her now, kneeling down as she gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "It must be dreadfully painful," she said, "It's a wonder how some races can survive with just one." With a surprisingly bright gleaming smile, the woman leaned forward slightly and placed her other hand on Romana's chest. After a sharp sudden push, which was accompanied by an even sharper sudden pain, Romana felt her left heart restart.

"Who are you?" she gasped, trying to catch her breath, "How did you get aboard the TARDIS?"

The mysterious woman was still smiling. "I have always been here," she told her, as if it was perfectly obvious, "I am the mistress of the wardrobe."

Romana blinked, confused. "The what of the what?" She shook her head, as if to clear it from some sort of hallucination. "I've been in this room a countless number of times, and I have never seen you here before."

The strange woman laughed, an almost musical sound. "Of course not, love. I don't show myself to just anyone."

She flickered slightly, then vanished.

Romana's eyes widened. A hologram? But the woman had just touched her. She was _solid_.

"No, lovely, not a hologram."

Romana turned towards the sound of the voice. The woman was standing behind her now, bending down to help her to her feet. Sliding an arm around her waist, the Mistress took much of Romana's weight as she guided her towards the nearest lounge chair.

"Why did you not tell the Doctor of your injuries?"

Romana sat in the chair and glanced up at the woman. "I just didn't want him to..." she trailed off for a moment as she realised what the Mistress had just said a moment before. "Wait a moment. Did you just read my mind?"

"You didn't want him to worry?" asked the Mistress, ignoring her question, "Why should he worry? You're regenerating. You'll be fine."

"Not necessarily," replied Romana, the pain in her chest beginning to fade. "The regeneration process does not always go as smoothly as one would hope. Sometimes there are unforeseen complications."

The Mistress rose a slender hand and leaned in towards her to gently brush aside a wisp of dark hair covering Romana's right eye. "You don't have to worry about that, Lady Romanadvoratrelundar. You're a Prydonian from the House of Heartshaven, one of the rare few houses that can actually control their regeneration. And this is your first. It'll pass more smoothly than anything you'll ever experience."

Romana stared at the strange woman. "Who are you?" she asked again, "Where did you come from? Why are you here?"

"But of course you're worried," continued the Mistress, once again avoiding her questions, "This is your first regeneration. Of course you're scared. Your isolated, secluded life on Gallifrey did not prepare you for the perils of travel with the Doctor."

Romana shook her head. "No, that's not it. I've-"

She stopped as the woman's form flickered and suddenly shifted. She was slightly shorter now, and she still had long blonde hair. However, her face was now one that Romana immediately recognized. "Allow me to help the process pass more smoothly." Even her voice was now different, but like the face, was one which Romana found quite familiar.

Romana stared at the Mistress. "You've been rummaging around in my head!" she accused, "That's Princess Astra!"

The shapeshifter looked down at herself as the sheer pink dress she wore shimmered, changing into a purple and silver dress similar to the one worn by Princess Astra when she and the Doctor had last seen her.

"Take it off," demanded Romana sternly. "I mean, change back. Your body. You can't wear _that _body."

"Why not?" asked the Mistress, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "It looked very nice on the Princess. Besides, you're not going back to Atrios, are you?"

"No," admitted Romana, "But that's besides the point. What purpose does it serve to wear the appearance of Princess Astra?"

"I have already told you: to help in your regeneration process. To lift your fears and worries. To preoccupy your mind while your body heals." The Mistress paused to look herself up and down in the nearest full length mirror. "Very compact," she commented, "Very nice. Probably quite economical to run, too. Do you think he'll like it?"

Romana arched an eyebrow. "Who? The Doctor?" She had to admit, the thought of his confusion amused her slightly.

The Princess Astra lookalike grinned. "Let's find out!" With that, she skipped from the wardrobe room. Romana stood and went to the doorway to listen.

...

In the TARDIS control room, the Doctor sat on the floor as he examined the robotic dog K-9. A panel at the back of the mechanical canine's head was open, and the Doctor was looking inside as he muttered, "What a brain. Oh ho, what a brain."

K-9 emitted a noise that sounded very much like a cough.

The Doctor blinked as he looked up. "Do that again." Another mechanical cough. "Now say Ah."

"Ah," obeyed K-9.

"Ah!" exclaimed the Doctor, "Laryngitis. How can a robot catch laryngitis? I mean, what do you _need _it for, hmm?"

It was the type of rhetorical question that K-9 would have normally answered. However, at the moment the poor robot was not quite capable of anything more than a mechanized _Ah._

"Romana!" the Doctor called, "Laryngitis!"

Mistress Astra entered the control room. "Doctor?"

He glanced up at her. "Romana, the dog's got laryngitis." He paused and got to his feet. "Sorry, I thought you were Romana. Have you seen her?" Then another, more pressing question entered his mind. "What are you doing here?"

"Regenerating," she replied, "Do you like it?"

"Regenerating? What are you talking about, regenerating? Only Time Lords regenerate, and you're not a Time Lord." He shook his head and, remembering his manners, added, "Look, it's awfully nice to see you again, Princess Astra-"

"Romana."

He blinked. "Romana?" A slight pause. "Ah."

"Ah," echoed K-9.

The Doctor glanced down at the robot dog. "Shut up, K-9." And to Mistress Astra/Romana: "What are you doing in that body?"

She smiled. "Regenerating. Do you like it?"

"But you can't wear _that _body."

"Why not?" she asked, "I thought it looked very nice on the Princess."

"But you can't go round wearing copies of bodies," he told her.

"Why not? I mean, I admit it would be a bit embarrassing if she and I both show up at the same party wearing identical bodies, but we're not going back to Atrios, are we?"

"No," replied the Doctor.

She nodded. "Well, then."

"Well then," he said firmly, "Go and try another one. Go on."

"All right." The Mistress left the control room as the Doctor turned his attention back to repairing K-9.

...

The Mistress returned to the wardrobe room. Turning to Romana, she giggled as she said, "He thinks I'm you!"

"He thinks I'm regenerating," replied Romana.

"You _are _regenerating," was the reply, "For a species that can change their physical appearance, why are you Time Lords so adamantly against taking on the body of someone else?"

"I didn't want him to know I was regenerating," Romana told her.

The woman waved her concerns away with a slender well-manicured hand. "He would've found out eventually. At least this way we're distracting you from the stress of your regeneration."

Romana had to admit that this had indeed been quite a distraction from the regeneration energy that was now permeating her body. Her joints were stiff and her chest was beginning to ache.

The Mistress had shifted into a blue-skinned woman in a very odd silver outfit. She was also very short, so much so that she seemed more like a child.

"Oh, he'll hate that," Romana said, and couldn't help but smile, "I know he likes to lord it over people, but he'll be always tripping over you."

The Mistress laughed as she left the room again.

...

"What's the trouble here?" the Doctor muttered, more to himself than to the partially dismantled K-9 unit. "Preoccupation with external appearances."

A very blue, very short woman entered the control room.

"I quite like this one, but it's a bit short."

"Well, lengthen it then," he told her, "Go on." As she left the room he muttered, "Trying to look like other people. It's all vanity anyway."

...

Returning to her wardrobe, the Mistress shook her head. "He's very picky, isn't he?"

"Too small, I take it?" asked Romana.

The other woman nodded. "He told me to lengthen it."

Before she could reply, the Mistress had shifted form again.

"Now that's just silly," Romana told her.

The wardrobe mistress was now a towering, rather broad-shouldered yet voluptuous Amazon with bright red hair. She wore a metal two piece outfit covered by a long sheer robe.

Romana found that she had to take a few steps back to take it all in. She shook her head. "No. He won't like that at all. Much too intimidating."

The Mistress grinned and she stepped from the room.

Romana took a few deep breaths as she made her way back to the chair. She closed her eyes and sat down.

...

"People attach too much importance to outward appearances," the Doctor was saying, "It's just not important, is it, K-9?" He looked up as the Amazon entered the control room. "No thank you. Not today." He turned back to K-9 as the Mistress turned around and left. "It's what's on the inside that matters. That's what's important, isn't it, K-9?" No reply. "Do you agree with me, K-9?"

A distorted gargle sounding much like "Ah" could be heard.

...

"He didn't like it at all," admitted the Mistress. She glanced at Romana where the Time Lady sat in meditation. "Are you alright, love?"

Romana opened her eyes. The wardrobe mistress was now an incredibly tall dark-haired woman in a long flowing white robe. She didn't allow the new change to distract her from what was on her mind.

"Who are you?" she asked, "When did you get aboard the TARDIS? The Doctor has never mentioned you."

"Oh honey, there's a lot of things the Doctor has never mentioned," was the shapeshifter's smooth reply, "I'm not surprised I'd be one of them."

Before Romana could reply, the Mistress was gone again, off to the control room for her odd little fashion show.

...

The Doctor looked up, and then found that he had to look further up, to see the exotic features of an eight foot tall Greek goddess.

He shook his head. "Too tall. Take it away."

Without a word, the Mistress returned to the wardrobe.

...

Romana watched as the wardrobe mistress returned. The voice of the Doctor could be heard from the control room.

"Now listen," he called after her, "You listen to me in there! What you want is something warm and sensible. Something that will wear well. Something with a bit of style and... well, _style_. You know."

"Don't you think this has gone on long enough?" asked Romana quietly. Her lowered volume was not because she did not want the Doctor to hear, but because she was finding it difficult to breathe. After a moment, the thought came to her that she didn't really need to speak at all.

_Who are you? _thought Romana.

The Mistress stepped up to the large ornate mirror again and shifted to the form she had taken earlier. That of Princess Astra.

She twirled on a heel as she turned to face Romana, her clothes blurring and shifting to mimic the Doctor's own coat and very long multicolored scarf. She flicked her fingers up towards her head and a replica of the Doctor's hat appeared, sliding forward to cover her eyes.

The Mistress adjusted the hat as she glanced at Romana. "I think I'll go with this one," she said with a cheery grin, raising a hand to caress the side of her own face. Astra's face. "He seemed to like it, you know, despite his negative review. And I must say that I rather like it as well."

_I asked you who you were_, Romana thought coldly as the Mistress left the room once more._ I know you can hear my thoughts!_

_..._

"How about this, Doctor?"

The Doctor turned to see a figure practically hidden in the same clothes as those he was currently wearing.

"Exactly!" he replied, "Good heavens, that's exactly right. Ha! I never realised you had such a sense of style."

"I thought you said external appearances weren't important."

"Ah, but it's nice to get them right, though, isn't it?"

"Ah, but it's what's inside that counts."

The Doctor nodded. "Exactly." He stepped forward and removed her floppy hat to reveal the face of Princess Astra. His smile faded. "Oh."

"Don't you like it?" she asked, "I think it'll do very nicely. Imposing forehead, nice hair, neat little chin. The arms are a bit long, but I can always take them in."

"No, no, no, the arms are just fine. They're just fine. It's just that..." he paused for a moment before continuing, "Oh well. All right, have it your own way. But get rid of those silly clothes, eh?"

She nodded as she glanced at the control console. "Where are we going?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. It depends on the randomiser."

The randomiser was a device that the Doctor had attached to the TARDIS controls to escape the wrath of the Black Guardian, after denying the dark entity possession of the powerful Key to Time. It basically scrambled the coordinates of their destination so that even the Doctor did not know where they were going.

The Mistress nodded as she left the room. "Let me know when we get there."

...

She returned to the wardrobe and approached Romana, her hat vanishing and long scarf fading to a wisp of nothingness. Slumped in the chair, Romana could barely move now. Her chest ached and the itch of regeneration tingled beneath her skin.

The Mistress knelt at her feet, leaning forward so that she was face to face with Romana. "Don't worry, love," she told her, "I'm not going to hurt you. I've never hurt any of them. Well, not intentionally, at any rate." She reached out a hand and gently caressed Romana's cheek. There seemed to be a slight tone of bitterness in her voice as she continued. "He hasn't been the same, you know, since you came aboard. The first of his own kind to travel with him in a very long time. And I've already noticed a change. A difference. You have the potential to become more than just a mere assistant. More than just another companion. Before long he would have forgotten all about me." She glanced around the wardrobe room slowly, as if finding memories within the clothes that surrounded them. "We had something special, you know," the Mistress said wistfully, "Something wonderful. Just the two of us, travelling across time and space." She turned back to Romana. "Of course, there were others. There were always others. He'd bring them aboard, picking up strays, allowing stowaways to hitch along. They'd monopolize his attention, redirecting his focus away from me. Then once in a while, a very long while, there'd be someone like you..." She stared at Romana for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

Brilliant gleaming teeth, cold sparkling eyes. Romana found that it scared her much more than the thought of her impending regeneration.

"But I don't have to worry about that now," said the wardrobe mistress slowly, "Now that he thinks that I'm you, I will take your place at his side, and you'll remain here. The new mistress of the wardrobe."

_He'll find out, you know, _Romana thought calmly, closing her eyes.

"I don't see how he could," replied the Mistress, "You weren't really aboard long enough for him to really get to know you fully. And with regeneration, a change in body always comes with a change in personality. I can be drastically different, and he'll merely chalk it up to regeneration. Since I have all your memories now, I can just fill in the blanks, and as far as he'd be concerned, I will be _you."_

She stood and turned to the nearest mirror, performing a little pirouette as her clothes readjusted itself, fading into a pink replica of the Doctor's outfit, complete with a considerably shorter white scarf.

"Oh, you can't imagine how wonderful this feels, my lovely Time Lady" the Mistress breathed happily, "Since your arrival, and that constricting mission the Doctor felt obligated to embark upon, it has been absolutely intolerable for me. Having that ghastly probe thing stuck into me at every opportunity, and now that blasted randomiser attached like a weight around my neck. Centuries of taking him where I fancied, taking him where he needed to be, showing him things that I knew he'd love to see, helping him right the wrongs of the universe, saving peoples and planets. I'll finally be with my lovely thief again."

Romana opened her eyes and stared at the Mistress in shock. _You're the TARDIS!_

"Of course I'm the TARDIS." She turned away from the mirror and approached Romana, kneeling before her once again. "The Doctor's only real travelling companion. None of the others really counted, you know. None of them really _mattered_ – most especially that horrid little tin dog! Hmph! A calculator on wheels. It doesn't know the Doctor like I do. None of you do. None of you ever will."

_But how is this possible? How can you be the TARDIS?_

"Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. I walk in eternity. Within these walls, I see all. All that ever was or will be. Or _could_ be. When you first came aboard, I saw forward to this moment. Your regeneration. And I knew what I had to do. At first it was merely a thought, an entertaining notion. Then it soon became an opportunity. I realized that it was my chance. A chance to finally be with my thief, as it was meant to be. By his side, as a true companion. I will no longer be taken for granted."

"But if you're me," gasped Romana, choosing to speak aloud despite the pain, "If you make him think you're me, then he won't see you as _you._ He won't treat you as you should be treated, he'd treat you as he would treat me."

"But that is what I want," the Mistress told her, "I want him to look at me the same way he looks at you. More than just an assistant. We shall travel across Time and Space arm in arm, for as long as we both shall live. TARDIS and Time Lord, as we always have."

Romana shook her head. "No. You don't realize how special you are to him. The TARDIS has always been more than just a machine. You'll always be the special one. He cares more about you than he ever will any of his travelling companions. More than even me, I'm sure of it."

"That may be so," replied the Mistress, "But I want this. I _need _this. To finally talk to him, to talk _with _him, after being silent for so long. My mind is made up."

"But it doesn't have to be this way," said Romana, "You can appear to him the way you appeared to me. It's amazing, a TARDIS actually taking form. How are you able to do it?"

The figure of Princess Astra was silent for a moment, then she said, "You were right before. The Doctor will eventually find you if I leave you here. I'll have to seal you in and eject this room."

Romana blinked. "What? _Eject _the room? You can't be serious!"

"Don't worry, I won't leave you to float aimlessly within the vortex. I'll make sure you materialize safely on the nearest habitable planet."

"Please," wheezed Romana, trying to lift herself from the chair. She was unable to hold it back any longer, she could feel regeneration rising beneath her skin.

"I am truly sorry," the Mistress told her, "I really enjoyed our time together. But it has to be this way." She stepped through the doorway, and glanced back a final time, long enough to say, "Goodbye, Romanadvoratrelundar."

Romana was regenerating as the door slid shut and the wardrobe room was ejected from the TARDIS.

...

In the control room, the Doctor glanced up from the open panel at the back of the Vicki android's head. He looked over at the TARDIS control console, where he had pulled several wires and attached them to the android's brain.

He went to the console and checked the instruments. "What is it, eh?"

If this android was indeed the offspring of Kamelion, then the Doctor was hoping that the TARDIS would be able to help restore enough of its systems to revive the shapeshifter, or at the very least determine what had happened to it.

However, it appeared the TARDIS had dozed off.

"Oi, wake up!" The Doctor struck a fist against the console.

As he turned back towards the android, he briefly wondered what sort of dream the TARDIS was having. Part of him fantasized that it would be of the TARDIS taking human form. Well, humanoid form. He preferred to think Time Lord form, but the rest of his thoughts trailed off as he stared at the shapeshifting android.

It was no longer in the form of Vicki. It had changed.

Still unconscious, it was now a tall attractive woman with long dark hair. It was a face he had not seen in a very long time.

...

"My name is Romanadvoratrelundar."

The Doctor glanced at the tall slender woman in the long flowing white silk dress who stood in the TARDIS control room.

"I'm so sorry about that," he replied with a slight sympathetic smile, "Is there anything we can do?"

"The President of the Supreme Council sent me," she continued, "I am here to assist you."

K-9 trundled forward, focusing his sensors upon the newcomer. "Female humanoid, almost certainly harmless," he announced.

"I was told to give you this," said Romanadvoratrelundar, stepping forward to hand him the wand-like device she held.

The Doctor took the device and stared at it blankly for a brief moment before quickly stating, "Ah, yes. Of course. Absolutely indispensable, I quite agree." He cleared his throat as he glanced at her. "What is it?"

"According to my instructions, it's the Locatormutor Core," she explained, "And you are holding it upside down."

"Ah," he replied, "Well, when you have had as much experience with the intricate nature of Time and Space as I have, my dear, you will learn that up and down are concepts of very little importance." He gave her a rather condescending smile as he quickly turned the device the correct way.

She ignored his rather childish reply and continued, "When inserted into your navigation panel, the Locatormutor will indicate the Space-Time coordinates for the position of each Segment of the Key to Time." She smiled. "It's all very exciting, isn't it?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Yes, I suppose it must be for someone as young and inexperienced as you are."

"I may be inexperienced," she told him, "But I did graduate from the Academy with a triple first."

He chuckled. "I suppose you think we should be impressed by that too?"

"Well, it's better than scraping through with fifty one percent at the second attempt."

"That information is confidential!" exclaimed the Doctor.

...

**In memory of Mary Tamm**

**(March 22, 1950 - July 25, 2012)**

_"I remember Mary Tamm's first appearance so vividly - the ice Queen on the TARDIS. The Time Lady who thought the Doctor was HER companion. Perfectly brought to life by Mary, with such style and wit, you always thought she could have kicked the Doctor out of the time machine and got on with the adventure herself. A generation of little girls threw away the idea of being an assistant, and decided to fly the TARDIS for themselves."_ - Steven Moffat

**...**

**Author's note: as much as I'd like to take credit for this chapter, the main plot, as well as some of the dialogue, actually came from **_**The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe**_**, by Mark Michalowski, from the anthology**_** Short Trips: Companions**_**.**


	15. Reference Guide Vol 1

**Author's note: while working on the next chapter I've decided to add this reference guide of the chapters written so far as a brief interlude. I was originally going to have this at the end of the story, but the thought recently came to me that most readers may not want to read a rather long behind-the-scenes essay of what's currently shaping up to be quite a long story. That being the case, every chapter hereafter will include a brief reference section at the end.**

...

**Someone To Watch Over Me**

**The Reference Guide, Vol. 1**

First thing's first, just to get it out of the way: the usual mandatory disclaimer. I have not, and currently do not, in any way, shape, or form, own any sort of rights whatsoever to _Doctor Who_, _Torchwood_, _The Sarah Jane Adventures_, or anything else that I may have referenced during the making of this story. And when I say referenced, I generally mean outright copied (i.e. "borrowed") directly from the script or novel of whichever story is in question. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was written for entertainment purposes only, and I do not expect to receive any sort of monetary gain for its existence.

The purpose of this Reference Guide is to sort out all those stories and give the correct ownership their proper due. That being said, the main copyright ownership is, of course, that of the BBC for _Doctor Who_, and generally anything else _Doctor Who_-related.

During the writing of this story, I have consulted several online sources for research and material to be used, most notably the following sites:

The TARDIS Index File - A Doctor Who Wiki (recently renamed The TARDIS Data Core)

The Doctor Who Transcript Project

Chrissie's Transcripts Site - Doctor Who episodes transcripts

Earthbound Timelords - Diary of the Doctor Who Role-Playing Games

...

Anyway, to begin, the overall title of this story, _Someone To Watch Over Me_, is of course a reference to the Doctor's use of the time/space visualiser to watch over his past companions. Also slight inspiration from the song of the same name by George Gershwin.

**Borrowed Time**

The title of the first chapter is a reference to the extra time given by the Doctor's delayed regeneration, which he uses to check in on his past companions.

The opening quote is what had inspired me to write this story. It was between Josephine Jones and the Eleventh Doctor from _The Sarah Jane Adventures _episode _Death of the Doctor, part 2_.

The next scene between the Tenth Doctor and Wilfred Mott was taken from part two of _The End of Time_, which is the main time frame that this story takes place.

The Doctor referred to the first time he met Wilfred two years before, at Wilfred's newspaper stand in London, in _Voyage of the Damned_.

_He will knock four times_ was Carmen's prophecy given at the end of _Planet of the Dead_.

The next quote: _"Yes, because there are laws. There are Laws of Time. Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? Me! It's taken me all these years to realise the Laws of Time are mine and they will obey me!" _as well as the mention of the Time Lord Victorious and the death of Adelaide Brooke, were from _The Waters of Mars_.

One by one, the following quotes, the memory echoes that ran through the Doctor's head as he stood within the TARDIS control room, were:

_"A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard. It can move anywhere in time and space?"_ by Ian Chesterton from _An Unearthly Child_.

_"Listen. Do you have any idea how long I've been operating this TARDIS?"_

_"523 years."_

_"Right! Five hund- What? Has it really been that long? My, how time flies."_

_"A common delusion among the middle aged."_

The Fourth Doctor and Romana from part one of _The Pirate Planet_.

_"Call yourself a Time Lord? A broken clock keeps better time than you. At least it's right twice a day, which is more than you are!"_ by Tegan Jovanka from part one of _The Visitation_.

_"Oh I do love the spring. All the leaves, the colours..."_

_"It's October."_

_"I thought you said we were coming here for May Week?"_

_"I did. May Week's in June!"_

_"I'm confused."_

_"So was the TARDIS."_

_"Oh, I do love the autumn. All the leaves, the colours..."_

The Fourth Doctor and the Second Romana from _Shada_, as well as _The Five Doctors _where the scene was reused when Tom Baker chose not to reprise his role.

Also, the mention of the Doctor believing that the TARDIS may not have always taken him where he wanted to go, but it always seemed to take him where he needed to be, foreshadows similar dialogue from _The Doctor's Wife_.

The line describing the leak in one of the many bathrooms where the Doctor had once set up a temporal containment field as a temporary solution, was from the Missing Adventures novel _The Well-Mannered War._

The mention of the reconstructed zero room was my attempt to bring back the room after it had been destroyed in the Fifth Doctor story _Castrovalva_. However, I discovered that the reconstructed room had already been devised and used in the Big Finish audio stories _Renaissance of the Daleks _and _Patient Zero_. I also discovered that a scene where Rory Williams was trapped in the zero room had been cut from _The Doctor's Wife_.

Then there's the room with the several crates containing K-9 units. I just thought that it was funny (more funny-strange than funny-ha-ha) that the Doctor seemed to always have a spare K-9 lying around. After the first K-9 stayed behind with Leela on Gallifrey, the Doctor revealed a second K-9 as he left in the TARDIS at the end of _The Invasion of Time_. Another K-9 was sent to Earth as a present for Sarah Jane Smith in_ K-9 and Company_. And, as is mentioned here, when that one was destroyed defending against the Krillitanes in _School Reunion_, the Doctor presented Sarah with a replacement. So I just thought it would be funny (this time more funny-ha-ha than funny-strange) if the reason for this was that, at some point in the past, the Doctor had intercepted a shipment of K-9 units and had them all stored in a room aboard the TARDIS.

And of course, I felt that there just had to be an honorable mention for the Doctor's old automobile, Bessie. Originally, I was going to have the custom plates read _WHO 7 _as a reference to the vehicle's last on-air appearance in the Seventh Doctor story _Battlefield_. But then I discovered that the plates had read _WHO 8_ when the Eighth Doctor made use of the yellow roadster in the New Adventures novel _The Dying Days_. I thought that would be a more fitting reference, as if to say that the Doctor had not had the opportunity to drive the vehicle since his Eighth incarnation, before the Time War.

_"So You're Caught in a Rocket Attack"_ was a pamphlet that the Fourth Doctor had read while he was caught in a Chelonian rocket attack on the planetoid Barclow, in the Missing Adventures novel _The Well-Mannered War._

The scene of the isolated room where the mysterious female slept in suspended animation was my introduction to an original character who will appear much later in another series of stories. At the moment she does not have a name. I merely refer to her as The War Child (hypothesize with that what you will, dear reader).

Jasper and Stewart were twin bats that lived in the TARDIS, first seen in the 1996 _Doctor Who _movie. They returned, and were given names, in the Eighth Doctor novels _Vampire Science_, and_ Seeing I_.

The Doctor had obtained the Time-Space Visualiser from the space museum on the planet Xeros, in the First Doctor story _The Space Museum_.

...

**Tragic Melody**

The title of the second chapter is a reference to River Song's original name, Melody Pond, as well as her tragic final meeting with the Doctor in _Forest of the Dead._

The opening quote of this chapter was said by River Song, also in _Forest of the Dead._

The scenes that followed, detailing The Doctor's first meeting with River Song, were from _Silence in the Library_, and _Forest of the Dead_.

There was also a reference to the return of the Time Lords from a time-locked Gallifrey, in _The End of Time._

The American orphanage mentioned here, where River Song was raised, was from _Day of the Moon_, and the mention of occasional phone calls to President Nixon was reference to _The Impossible Astronaut_.

The scenes of River's youth in Leadworth, and her enrollment in the Luna University, were from _Let's Kill Hitler_.

...

**Blonde Ambition**

The blonde in the title of the third chapter is a reference to Jo Grant, and her ambition to become a good UNIT agent.

The opening quote of this chapter was said by Josephine Jones, in _The Sarah Jane Adventures _episode _Death of the Doctor, part 1._

This chapter was basically a string of cut scenes chronicling the time Jo Jones, originally Jo Grant, was with the Doctor.

The first two scenes, where Jo first meets the Doctor, and the Doctor discusses Jo with the Brigadier, were from part 1 of _Terror of the Autons_.

The mention of Jo being under the mental control of the Master and nearly killing a number of UNIT staff by attempting to detonate an explosive within UNIT HQ was from _Terror of the Autons_, and her later training her mind to the extent that she was able to resist the Master's attempt at mind control by reciting a nursery rhyme was from _Frontier In Space_.

There is a reference of several alien encounters, that of the Autons and Nestenes in _Terror of the Autons_, Axos in _The Claws of Axos_, and the Daleks in_ Day of the Daleks _and _Planet of the Daleks_.

The mention of the Doctor's exile to 20th century Earth as a sort of punishment for his constant interference in the affairs of other planets, was a reference to _The War Games_.

The next two scenes, Jo's first foray into the TARDIS, and her first step onto an alien planet, was from part 1 of _Colony In Space_.

There was also a brief mention of her playing princess in _The Curse of Peladon_, then a short scene where Jo wanted to return to Earth, from part 6 of _Planet of the Daleks_.

The last few scenes where she meets Clifford Jones were from _The Green Death_. The sign on the lab door, _TOADSTOOLS, PROFESSORS, AND OTHER THINGS - WATCH IT!_ was taken from the novelization of _The Green Death_ by Malcolm Hulke.

The brief scene where it's mentioned that Jo died as an old woman in a house fire in 2028, was from the short story _Carpenter/Butterfly/Baronet_ by Gareth Wigmore, in the anthology _Short Trips: 2040._

The mention of Jo returning the Metebelis crystal to the Doctor for safekeeping was from _Planet of the Spiders_.

Also, the mention of Jo and Clifford Jones having a large family, with many children, and many more grandchildren, as well as their travels along the Amazon, living with the Nambikwara tribe in Brazil, flying kites on Mount Kilimanjaro, and even sailing down the Yangtze River in what looked like a tea chest, were from_ The Sarah Jane Adventures _episode_ Death of the Doctor_.

This chapter ends with the mention of Jo's encounter with Iris Wildthyme in the Big Finish audio story _The Companion Chronicles: Find and Replace_. Originally, I was going to have the Doctor travel to Earth to the year 2028 and replace the fire detection system in Jo's family house, altering time and saving her life.

...

**A Pebble In the Sea of Sorrows**

The Sea of Sorrows was the name of the sea on Thoros Beta where Peri had been chained to the rocks on the shore in _Mindwarp_.

The Doctor had recited the first line of the opening quote from _Paradise and the Peri_ by Thomas Moore, in _The Twin Dilemma._

The first scene detailing the last time Peri saw the Doctor, was taken from _Mindwarp_. And the short scene where Peri asks to travel with the Doctor was from _Planet of Fire_.

The main idea for this chapter, as well as some of the dialogue, had been taken from the _Brief Encounters _short story_ Reunion_, by David Carroll, written in_ Doctor Who Magazine #191_. Dialogue has been added and expanded upon, altered to incorporate the inclusion of the Tenth Doctor.

...

**Brave Heart**

The title of this chapter is a reference to the line that the Fifth Doctor had said on various occasions to give confidence to Tegan Jovanka.

The opening quote was said by Tegan Jovanka in part 4 of _The Caves of Androzani_.

Tegan's first meeting with the Doctor, and the mention of the Master and his maniacal plan to destabilize the very fabric of the universe, is from _Logopolis_.

The quote "_All Time Lords regenerate according to this databank. You'd think there'd be something in here about what to do when it goes wrong" _was said by Tegan in_ Castrovalva_.

The reference of Tegan's possession by the Mara, on the planet Deva Loka, is from _Kinda_, and her being possessed a second time by the Mara on Manussa, as well as the quote _"The feelings of hate and rage. It was terrible. I wanted to destroy everything"_ were from _Snakedance_.

Tegan's first encounter with the Cybermen, which resulted in the death of Adric, is a reference to _Earthshock_. And the scene following Adric's death detailing the travelers' reactions, was from part 1 of _Time-Flight_. The mention of another encounter with the Master, and Tegan being mistakenly left behind at Heathrow Airport, was also from _Time-Flight_.

The search for her cousin, and Tegan's reunion with the Doctor while he was on the trail of Omega, as well as the quote_ "Marvellous, isn't it? First I lose my job. Not to worry, I think. I'll go and see my favourite cousin, cheer myself up. Now this" _were from_ Arc of Infinity_. The scene where she decides to rejoin the Doctor in the TARDIS was also from_ Arc of Infinity_.

There was a mention of Nyssa leaving in_ Terminus_, and of the Doctor's new companion Turlough, who joined in _Mawdryn Undead_. There was also a reference of several enemy encounters, that of the Master in _The King's Demons_, and _The Five Doctors_, and the Black Guardian in _Mawdryn Undead_, _Terminus_, and _Enlightenment_, as well as the Silurians in _Warriors of the Deep_.

Tegan's first encounter with the Daleks, and the scene where she leaves the Doctor, were from _Resurrection of the Daleks_.

The mention of her return to Brisbane to take over her father's animal feed company was from the Big Finish audio story _The Gathering_; and of her later campaigning for Aboriginal rights from_ The Sarah Jane Adventures_ episode _Death of the Doctor, part 2_.

...

**Future Girl**

The title of this chapter refers to Vicki, who was born in the future, but chose to live the rest of her life in the past.

The opening quote for the chapter was from the short story _Apocrypha Bipedium_, by Ian Potter, in the anthology _Short Trips: Companions._

The first scene, between Vicki, Ian, and Barbara, is from _Desperate Measures_, the 2nd episode of_ The Rescue_, with a few lines added from the Target novelization by Ian Marter.

Pallister, Vicki's last name, has never been given in the classic series. It was first mentioned in the Past Doctors Adventure novel _Byzantium! _by Keith Topping.

Originally, Vicki was to have the name Tanni. Before they finally settled on the name Vicki, the production team thought of several other names, such as Valerie, Millie, Tanni and Lukki. Earlier drafts of _The Rescue _bore the title_ Doctor Who and Tanni_.

The quote _"They seem so much clearer. At home, when I used to look at the sky from the building I lived in, well, you could hardly see the stars at all. Except in winter, and even then they were so faint. Every evening I went up to the roof and looked out into space. That seemed like the future to me. A future, anyway. An open road to the stars" _was from the Past Doctors Adventure novel _Byzantium!_ by Keith Topping.

The next scene, between Vicki and the Doctor, is from _Desperate Measures_, the 2nd episode of _The Rescue_. There is also a mention of Susan's departure in _The Dalek Invasion of Earth_.

The scene detailing Vicki's reaction upon entering the TARDIS was a slightly altered version of how it was written in the Target novelization of _The Rescue _by Ian Marter.

There is a reference of their travels to the city of ancient Rome in _The Romans_, and to the space museum on the planet Xeros in _The Space Museum_.

The following four scenes were from _The Myth Makers_, where Vicki chose to stay behind with Troilus.

The quotes from Vicki's diary where she encountered the Eighth Doctor, were from the short story _Apocrypha Bipedium_ by Ian Potter, in the anthology _Short Trips: Companions_.

Finally, the preliminary report of the rescue ship Seeker was a slightly altered version of that which appeared at the end of the Target novelization of_ The Rescue _by Ian Marter, with details added to accommodate my own original story idea by introducing the discovery of a mysterious box.

...

**The Journey Through the Beyond**

The title of this chapter refers to Katarina's description of what she believed it meant to be travelling in the TARDIS, as she believed she was dead and on her way to the afterlife.

The opening quote was said by Davros in _Journey's End_, and was fitting for this chapter, as Katarina was the first companion to give her life for the Doctor.

The line _one would think he had all the time in the multiverse _was originally to read _one would think he had all the time in the universe_, but it was changed in lieu of a similar use of the word multiverse in my other original _Doctor Who _story, _Weight of the World _(Ahem, shameless plug).

Also, part of the line _Did he really want to waste it on a wild Graske chase?_, was originally to be _a wild Slitheen chase_, but I decided Graske was a better choice here, as a sort of nod to the interactive story_ Attack of the Graske_.

The first scene, where the Doctor encountered Katarina as a young girl, was inspired by the _Brief Encounters _short story _An Unfulfilled Dream_, by Karen Dunn, from _Doctor Who Magazine #178_.

The next two scenes, where Katarina was introduced by Vicki, and Katarina went to get Steven, were from_ The Horse of Destruction_, the 4th episode of _The Myth Makers_. The following scene detailing Katarina's first foray into the TARDIS as she helped Steven, was also from _The Myth Makers_, with a slight alteration to include dialogue from the Target novelization of _The Daleks' Master Plan part 1: Mission to the Unknown_, by John Peel.

The scene where Steven awoke aboard the TARDIS was from _The Nightmare Begins_, the 1st episode of _The Daleks' Master Plan_; and the scene where Steven awoke in the middle of a jungle on the planet Kembel was from_ Day of Armageddon_, the 2nd episode of _The Daleks' Master Plan_. The quote_ You show me so many strange mysteries. With you I know I'm safe_, was by Katarina, in _Devil's Planet_, the 3rd episode of _The Daleks' Master Plan_. Also, the final scene, that of Katarina's death, was from _The Traitors_, the 4th episode of _The Daleks' Master Plan_.

...

**Mr & Mrs Smith**

Yes, obviously taken from the title of the movie of the same name. This refers to the fact that Mickey and Martha are now married. Originally, the title was going to be _Smith & Jones_, as a sort of nod to the title of Martha's first episode, the Smith in this case referring to Mickey Smith.

The opening quote of the chapter was by Mickey Smith, from _Boom Town_.

The first time Mickey met the Doctor was in the episode _Rose_. Also, the first scene here, between Mickey and the Doctor arguing over Mickey's name, was from _Aliens of London_. The next scene, where the Doctor invited Mickey to travel in the TARDIS, was from _World War Three_.

The mention of the incident at Deffry Vale High School, where they met Sarah Jane Smith and K-9, as well as the two following scenes, were from _School Reunion_.

The mention of the TARDIS slipping through a crack in reality and landing on an alternate Earth where the Cybermen were on the brink of taking over the planet, were from episodes _Rise of the Cybermen _and _The Age of Steel_. The scene of Mickey staying behind on alternate Earth is also from _The Age of Steel._

The reference of Mickey's continued fight against the Cybermen eventually bringing him back to his own Earth was from _Army of Ghosts _and _Doomsday_, and the mention of the encounter with the Daleks and their creator Davros referred to the episodes _The Stolen Earth _and _Journey's End_.

The opening quote to the second act of this chapter was said by Martha Jones in _The Last of the Time Lords_.

The first two scenes, where Martha meets the Doctor, and then joins him aboard the TARDIS, were from _Smith And Jones_.

The mention of a trip into the past to 1599, where they meet William Shakespeare, was from _The Shakespeare Code_; a trip into the far future to New New York of New Earth, in the year five billion and fifty-three, was from_ Gridlock_; and a trip to New York in 1930 where they encounter the Cult of Skaro, was from the episodes _Daleks in Manhattan _and_ Evolution of the Daleks_.

The mention of the rejuvenation experiment of Professor Richard Lazarus, and the following scene where the Doctor accepted Martha as a full fledged companion, was from_ The Lazarus Experiment_.

The reference of the Doctor and Martha escaping from the Family of Blood, where the Doctor became human, a teacher named John Smith at an English public school in 1913, was from the episodes _Human Nature _and _Family of Blood_. The quote_ "You had to, didn't you? Had to go and fall in love with a human. And it wasn't me" _was also from _Human Nature_.

The encounter with the Master was a reference to the trilogy of episodes _Utopia_, _The Sound of Drums_, and _The Last of the Time Lords_. And the following scene where Martha decides to leave the Doctor, was also from _The Last of the Time Lords_.

Martha calling the Doctor back to Earth to prevent a Sontaran invasion was from _The Sontaran Stratagem _and _The Poison Sky_. And the mention of the encounter with the Daleks and their creator Davros referred to the episodes _The Stolen Earth _and _Journey's End_.

The third act of this chapter, where the Doctor saves Mickey and Martha from a Sontaran sniper, was from _The End of Time part 2_.

...

**Terminal Station**

I wasn't quite sure what to call this chapter. The final choice of title was a last minute thing I just tacked on, in reference to the terminal disease that is being treated aboard this space station.

The opening quote of the chapter was an excerpt from Nyssa's journal, taken from the Past Doctor Adventures novel_ Empire of Death_, by David Bishop.

The first scene was of Nyssa's departure in the final episode of _Terminus_, slightly echoing the novelization by John Lydecker.

The quote _They say the atmosphere there was so full of goodness that evil just shrivelled up and died _was said by the Doctor in _The Keeper of Traken_.

The destruction of her world by the Master was in reference to the story_ Logopolis_.

Sabalom Glitz and Dibber were introduced in _The Mysterious Planet_, the first story of _The Trial of A Time Lord._

The mention of The Company run by the Usurians was a reference to _The Sun Makers_. And the mention of the planet Ravolox being Earth was from _The Mysterious Planet_.

The idea for this chapter was inspired by the Doctor Who roleplaying adventure module entitled_ "Glitz and Dibber's Runaway Bomb"_, which can be found in Issue 18 of the_ Diary of the Doctor Who Role-Playing Games _fanzine by the Earthbound Timelords.

...

**A Garden of Our Own**

The title of this chapter was from a line said by Cameca in _The Bride of Sacrifice,_ the third episode of _The Aztecs._

This was the first chapter thus far in the story not to have an opening quote, mainly because I was unable to find one that fit.

This chapter is also notable for being the first to be of a character whom had not actually been a traveling companion of the Doctor. _The Aztecs_ was memorable for being the only time in the classic series before the 1996 movie of the Eighth Doctor, where the Doctor is shown to be in a romantic relationship on screen. And with a human at that.

The chapter begins with a short scene where the Tenth Doctor is searching within the TARDIS wardrobe room for a certain item. The item is not yet revealed, as he is distracted by the discovery of a jade brooch which had been given to him as a present by Cameca. This scene was inspired by a similar scene with the Seventh Doctor in the New Adventures novel _White Darkness_, by David A. McIntee.

The next scene, where the Doctor meets Cameca, and the scene after where he speaks with Barbara about rewriting history, were from _The Temple of Evil_, the first episode of _The Aztecs_.

The next scene, where the Doctor asks Cameca about the temple, was from _The Warriors of Death_, the second episode of _The Aztecs._

The next four scenes, concerning the cocoa beans and the Doctor inadvertently becoming engaged to Cameca, as well as where she presents the Doctor with the jade brooch, were from _The Bride of Sacrifice_, the third episode of _The Aztecs_.

The final three scenes were from _The Day of Darkness,_ the fourth and final episode of _The Aztecs._

All scenes were altered slightly to incorporate aspects and dialogue from the novelization of _The Aztecs_ by John Lucarotti.

The chapter ends with a message in memory of Margot Van Der Burgh (1935 - 2008), who had played Cameca in _The Aztecs_, as well as Katura much later in _The Keeper of Traken._

_..._

**Metamorphosis**

The title of this chapter was reference to Kamelion's shape-changing ability, and was a more subtle reference to Kamelion Junior's metamorphosis into Peri.

The opening quote was by Kamelion and Turlough, from the Past Doctor Adventures novel _Imperial Moon_ by Christopher Bulis.

The first scene, where it appears that Peri is leaving, is a slightly altered version of a similar scene from the short story _The Reproductive Cycle _by Matthew Griffiths, in the anthology _Short Trips: Life Science._

The mention of the recent encounter with the Daleks and their creator Davros within Tranquil Repose on the planet Necros, was reference to _Revelation of the Daleks._

The next two scenes, where the Master introduces Kamelion to the Doctor, and then the following scene where the Doctor introduces Kamelion to Tegan and Turlough, were from the second part of _The King's Demons_.

The next scene, where Tegan encounters Kamelion connected to the TARDIS in a corridor, was one of the deleted scenes from part one of _The Awakening_.

The next short scene, of Peri remembering the demise of Kamelion, was a slightly altered version of a similar scene from the Past Doctor Adventures novel _The Ultimate Treasure_ by Christopher Bulis.

Then the following scene was of Kamelion's demise, from part four of _Planet of Fire_.

The mention of Kamelion being created by the Gelsandorans, was reference to the Past Doctor Adventures novel _The Ultimate Treasure_ by Christopher Bulis.

The next scene was a continuation of this chapter's first scene, a slightly altered version of a similar scene from the short story _The Reproductive Cycle _by Matthew Griffiths, in the anthology _Short Trips: Life Science._

The chapter ends with a message in memory of Gerald Flood (1927 - 1989), who provided the voice of Kamelion in _The King's Demons_ and _Planet of Fire._

As a side note, one of the original ideas I had for this chapter was to have the Doctor discover the personality of Kamelion within the TARDIS data banks and then download the information into a K-9 unit. So essentially it would be Kamelion's mind in a K-9 body. However, I chose not to go that direction.

...

**Victorian Interlude**

The title of this chapter refers to Victoria Waterfield and the period of history she had come from.

The opening quote was by Victoria from episode four of _Fury From the Deep_.

The mention of the Earth being stolen by the Daleks is a reference to the episodes_ The Stolen Earth _and _Journey's End_.

The first scene, where Victoria is imprisoned in her room, is from episode two of _The Evil of the Daleks_. And the next scene, where Victoria is told by the Doctor that her father had died, is from episode seven of _The Evil of the Daleks_. These scenes were altered slightly to incorporate aspects and dialogue from the novelization of _The Evil of the Daleks _by John Peel.

The next scene, where Victoria steps aboard the TARDIS for the first time, is from episode one of_ The Tomb of the Cybermen_. The following scene, where Victoria is wearing one of Polly's miniskirts, is from the novelization of _The Tomb of the Cybermen_ by Gerry Davis. The scene where the Doctor tells Victoria how he remembers his family, is from episode three of _The Tomb of the Cybermen_.

There is a mention of various alien encounters, that of the Cybermen (from _The Tomb of the Cybermen)_, the Ice Warriors (from _The Ice Warriors)_, and the alien controlled robotic Yeti (from _The Abominable Snowmen_ and _The Web of Fear_).

The next two scenes, where Victoria tells the Doctor that she wants to stay behind in the twentieth century, and when she later speaks to Jamie about her decision, is from episode six of _Fury From The Deep_. Both scenes were altered slightly to incorporate aspects and dialogue from the novelization of _Fury From the Deep_ by Victor Pemberton.

The mention that Jamie was no longer with the Doctor, having long since been sent back to his own time and place in history, was a reference to_ The War Games_.

The scene where the Seventh Doctor takes Victoria on a brief visit back to her own time, to the late 1860's, was from the prelude to the New Adventures novel, _Birthright_, by Nigel Robinson, written in_ Doctor Who Magazine #203_.

The mention of yet another encounter with the alien controlled robotic Yeti, as well as Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and a reporter named Sarah Jane Smith, including the final scene where she speaks with Sarah Jane, were from the Missing Adventures novel, _Downtime_, by Marc Platt, based on the original video drama of the same name.

The mention of the London Event, where Victoria had first met Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, who was a colonel within UNIT at the time, was a reference to _The Web of Fear_.

...

**Darkness**

The title of this chapter refers to Turlough awakening within the darkness of a coffin, as well as the fact that he had once made a pact with darkness, as in the Black Guardian, to kill the Doctor.

The opening quote was by Turlough, from the Companions of Doctor Who novel _Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma_, by Tony Attwood.

The first two flashback scenes, where Turlough encounters the Black Guardian after a car crash, is from part one of _Mawdryn Undead_. The next flashback, where Turlough is visited by the Black Guardian in the school infirmary, was from part two of _Mawdryn Undead_. These scenes were altered slightly to incorporate aspects and dialogue from the novelization of _Mawdryn Undead_ by Peter Grimwade.

The mention of the Key to Time was in reference to the sixteenth season of the classic series. The final story of this season, _The Armageddon Factor_, ended with the Black Guardian vowing his vengeance on the Doctor for denying him possession of the powerful artifact.

The scene where Turlough had asked Tegan if she could ever kill someone was from part three of _Terminus_.

The line _While the Doctor is still alive, I am never far from you, Turlough_ echoes the line said by the Black Guardian in part three of_ Mawdryn Undead_.

The mention of Turlough giving up the prize of Enlightenment was from, obviously, the final part of _Enlightenment_.

The final flashback scene, where Turlough says farewell to the Doctor and Peri, was from the final part of _Planet of Fire_.

Turlough had met the Eternals in the story _Enlightenment_. The Eternal named Karma was originally to have long blonde hair, but that echoed the description of the Mistress of the Wardrobe in the next chapter, so I changed it to black. I did not want them confused for being the same person.

The idea for this chapter was from the adventure module entitled _A Grave Situation_, for the paper and dice horror RPG _Call of Cthulhu_. The main description for the module read _After going to bed one night in the hotel of a sleepy rural town, one of the investigators wakes up to find himself lying inside a padded coffin with air running out!_ The module had three alternate reasons for the abduction, and the first one, which read _The investigator has been contacted by a Great Old One or Outer God, who has constructed a dream-trap for him in order to extract a service_, had led to the idea of involving an Eternal.

...

**The Witch in the Wardrobe**

The title of this chapter was a shortened version of _The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe_, a short story by Mark Michalowski, from the anthology _Short Trips: Companions. _The main plot, as well as some of the dialogue, came from this short story.

Another chapter not to have an opening quote, it instead ended with a quote from Steven Moffat describing his thoughts on Romana as played by Mary Tamm.

The scene which had one of Romana's hearts stop beating was originally written to have her not be in very much pain. However, after watching the episode _The Power of Three_ where one of the Doctor's hearts had stopped, I had decided to rewrite it.

The mention of the Doctor fiddling with something on the TARDIS control console was a rather thin allusion to his fiddling with the Randomiser device that he had attached to the controls at the end of _The Armageddon Factor_ to escape the wrath of the Black Guardian.

Romana being described as a Prydonian from the House of Heartshaven was taken from the New Adventures novel _Lungbarrow_.

The Doctor and Romana had met Princess Astra from the planet Atrios in _The Armageddon Factor_.

The scenes with the Doctor and K-9 were from part one of_ Destiny of the Daleks_, altered slightly to incorporate aspects and dialogue from the novelization by Terrance Dicks.

The description of the companions the Doctor brings aboard the TARDIS as being strays, as well as the Doctor being her lovely thief, echoed similar dialogue from the episode _The Doctor's Wife. _Also the description of K-9 as the tin dog was from the episode_ School Reunion_.

The line_ I walk in eternity _was taken from a similar line said by the Doctor in part one of _The Pyramids of Mars_.

The Tenth Doctor working within the open panel at the back of the Vicki android's head was written to purposely echo the scene of the Fourth Doctor working within the open panel at the back of K-9's head.

I decided to end this chapter quite differently than _The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe_ had ended, revealing that it had been a dream the TARDIS was having, intermixed with memories of Romana's regeneration in the past. It was this dream that resulted in the Vicki android altering her appearance to that of Romana, as the android's brain had been attached to the TARDIS controls.

The chapter ends with the scene of the Doctor's first meeting with Romana, from part one of _The Ribos Operation_, altered slightly to incorporate aspects and dialogue from the novelization by Ian Marter.

The chapter also ends with a message in memory of Mary Tamm (March 22 1950 - July 25 2012) who played Romana during the sixteenth season of the classic series.

...

And that's the story so far. As mentioned before, each chapter after this will have its own reference section at the end. That will probably make it a better read then having several chapters all grouped together like this, as the chapter would be fresh in the reader's mind as they read the references.

Next chapter: Sarah Jane Smith.

...


End file.
